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Kenvir Stories
          Another of Ken's pictures
mine30-forties-ken-600-ee.jpg

NOTE:  As the Kenvir story page grows each person's stories will be  posted to each individual's own                 story page. This page will become the gateway to each individual's story page.   Glenn



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Carl Dodd Story

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Kenvir USA
Black Mountain Community Forum
 Edna Longmire to Jimmy Jones

Topic: Edna Longmire to Jimmy Jones                                                  

Bonnie howard 
  
    Date Posted: 08/16/2004 9:01 PM    
                           
Beginning of a Friendship-The Hot Dog story
Name:           Edna Longmire \\\"as told to\\\" Jill Davidson
Date Posted:           Aug 16, 04 - 8:07 PM
IP Address:           63.183.97.64
Message:           My Grandma Edna told me that Grandpa Raymond was best friends with Cy Jones but the wives had never met personally,so Cy asked Martha to go with him to meet Edna,Martha says Oh I don't like that sour little woman,LOL,but Cy finally got her to go,so they went to the Restaurant,Martha said Edna I want a Hotdog,do you want one?Grandma says Yes I'll take one,Well Grandma had forgotten about having all her teeth took out and was awaiting dentures,and bit into the HotDog,The Hotdog just popped right out of her mouth and fell on the floor,Martha went to laughing so hard and Grandma did too,That broke the ice,from that day forward they remained best of friends.




Posted by; Bonnie Howard
Subject:           Jimmy Jones and the class ring
Name:           Edna Longmire \\"as told to\\" Jill Davidson
Date Posted:           Aug 16, 04 - 7:54 PM
IP Address:           63.183.97.64
Message:           Grandma Edna told me a funny about Jimmy Jones,Grandma Edna and Grandpa Raymond was very close friends to Martha and Cy Jones,Well Jimmy,their son was about to graduate and Martha had saved for a long time to buy him a class ring,on the same night that she had bought it,he took it and gave it to his girlfriend,Martha said I worked and saved too hard for you to give that Ring away,She marched right to the Girls' House and took it back,LOL,Thanks
          
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The Black Mountain "GREAT HEART" 1/2 dollar  
Posted by: Chris - 6/14/2004 (20:20) - 65.207.126.148
Good Evening friends, I heard through the grape vine that someone locally had unearthed an old Black Mountain 1/2 dollar in scrip out of the Great Heart series. A couple of the old camp house's have burned lately, and in cleaning it was uncovered. I have,nt talked to the people, so I dont know if it was scrip or regular U.S. money they found, but I heard it was a 50 cent scrip piece. If so, they have a rare treasure. I have mentioned before that the Great heart penny is the most common piece, and even its valuable. The dollar and 1/2 dollar are rare indeed. In fact it is all hard to come by. I will maybe check around and see what I can find out. I dont want it, but I would like to see it and relate the story of how it was found. I would venture to say a lot of old scrip is a sleeping some where in Black mountain, or maybe other places where it has been stored in cigar boxes or old trunks. The Compnay store has been gone for well over 40 years, but the Company money keeps on circulating. Besides the scrip, sometimes the old scrip-cards also turn up, slid behind an old mantle or baseboard. These too are pretty valuable,especially to any of us who lived and had family working in the Kenvir mines. I will maybe give another story on this, when I hear more. Black Mountain Corporation, Kenvir Ky.....Chris

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Did you Know???
Posted by: Chris - 6/9/2004 (7:31) - 65.207.126.148
***That on Tuesday May 22, 1928 a huge dust explosion at the Black Mountain Corporation number 30 mine at Kenvir occured and took the lives of eight men. Acoording o the Harlan Daily Enterprise the explosion occurred at 6:20 in the evening with about one hundred men in the mine. The explosion was so powerful it shattered some windows on the club-house and top windows of the Mine 30 Commissary, as well as some of the windows in the camp houses in the valley below. Smoke poured from the drift mouth. Rescue teams from as far away as Norton Virginia, and Lexington KY arrived to assist the rescue effort. The dead included Clay Quintrell, Asher HAll, Frank Chow, Elmer Leach, Sam Edwards, Lewis Fogarty, Frank Higgins and Frank Romines. According to the paper the dead were brought to Harlan and prepared for burrial. It further states that " This is the first mine explosion ever to occur in Harlan County at the various mines in this county" I enjoy finding things that Kenvir accomplished and was first in, but this one "First" I hate to see we had occur. I did not know these men, some of you may reach back in memory and recall the names, but according to the paper they all left widows and children. I wonder where their descendants are today. Somewhere out there, they are a part of our Kenvir family. It says Frank Chow was the chief electrician at mine 30 at that time. Good folks and friends of Kenvir, let us never forget these and the many others who breathed their last at number 30 and 31...Chris


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The Coming of the Rail Road into Harlan County Ky part 1


Posted by: Chris- Story by Jadon Gibson "Powell Val - 6/8/2004 (10:01) - 206.28.60.144
After the Louisville and Nashville Rail Road (L&N) line from Corbin Kentucky to Norton Virginia was completed on May 15, 1891, numerous tributary branches were added along the way to provide service to hundreds of coal mines and populated areas.
T.J. Asher and sons, loctaed at Wasioto, KY, just south of Pineville, operated mills, kilns and lumber yards in the early 1900's. They shipped hardwoods and yellow poplar lumber over a wide area.
They also owned extensive coal and timber lands but much of the resources could not be tapped because of inadequate transportation.
He decided to build a rail raod to access his rich coal and timber lands and began constuction from Harbell KY, south of Pineville, in 1907. L&N advanced funds to Asher to assist in the constuction of tjhe line under an agreement that gave L&N an option to purchase the railway constuction project.
On July 23, 1908, Asher formally organized the Wasioto and Black Mountain rail Road Compnay that would build and operate a rail line along the Cumberland River from a point near Harbell to Tejay where Toms creek flowed into the Cumberland River.
The town of TeJay was named after T.J. Asher, president of the rail road.
The articles of incorporation were later amended to allow the rail to extend its line to Harlan and beyond. (Part 2 tomorrow) Hope everyone has a nice day..Chris

Coming of the Rail Road Part 2-by Jadon Gibson

Posted by: Chris - 6/9/2004 (6:59) - 65.207.126.148
The Wasioto and Black Mountain Rail Road was the instument whereby rail road lines eventually reached the valuable coal properties in Harlan and BEll counties belonging to Harlan coal land company, International Harvester Company and its subsiderary, Wisconsin Steel Company, the American association and the Kentenia Corporation.
Warren Delano Jr., was vice president of the Kentenia Corporation, a company that owned vast coal and timber lands in Southeastern KY in the early 1900s.
Delano was an uncle of Franklin Delano Roosevelt who would later become president of the United States. As a young man the future president accompanied his uncle to Harlan and Bell Counties. They arrived by train, but then rode horseback into the inaccessible areas.
Southeast Kentucky exhibited much growth during this period. This was largely due to the extensive coal and timber resources and it promted several railroads to study Harlan and Bell Counties and the region for investment. L&N decided to get the jump on their competitors by exercising their option to purchase Wasioto and Black Mountain Railroad because it was well past the planning stage. They were confident that it would become a profitable line soon after it's completion.
On November 1, 1909, L&N exercised the right to aquire the rail raod and hired Judge Asher to stay on as president. At the time the road stretched 13 miles to a point about halfway between Harbell and Crosby. The remainder of the distance was partially graded.
Laborers arrived in Bell and Harlan counties from a wide area to hire on and L&N was anxious to push the project to a successful conclusion. The older constuction method of sledgehammers, Mule carts and brute force was used in laying the railroad track because of the difficult terrain. It was difficult to get the newer equipment to the site.
The drilling of holes for powder-blasting was largely done by hand with a kneeling man holding the bit while a another struck it with sharp blows from a heavy hammer. An early version of the drill,steampowered, was introduced and used on some projects to drill holes in the rock but the road bed was largely completed with pick, shovel and raw power.
(Part 3 tomorrow)...Chris

The Coming of the Rail Road to Harlan County- Part 3
Story by Jadon Gibson

Posted by: Chris- - 6/10/2004 (14:44) - 65.207.126.148
Since trains could only operate efficiently on low grades the project required many great cuts deep into the hillsides and several tunnels had to be dug. There were many places that had to be filled and bridge construction was commonplace on the line. Steam shovels were seldom used because the rough terrain made it difficult to get them in to the construction sites. The line was built at a cost of $20,000 per mile. That was an expensive sum in that era.
The Knoxville Journal reported on MArch 4, 1911 that "The work of constructing the rail road in Harlan County Kentucky would be finished in 30 days". "the new road is 60 miles long and passes through some of the richest coal and timber lands in the South. Since the construction has begun the Wisconsin Steel Company has aquired valuable properties in Harlan County and work on opening the mines has started.
In 1915 the name of the line was changed from Wasioto and Black Mountain Railroad the Kentucky and Virginia Railroad Company. The line followed the Cumberland river as recomended as early as 1887. The railroad was completed to Baxter Ky, two miles from Harlan, a distance of 35.59 miles, in April of 1911. The line on into Harlan was completed July 15, 1911.
The first regular pasenger train will run to Harlan Monday, JUly 17, 1911.The Middlesboro paper reported two days earlier. Though the station will not be completed for 30 days, trains will arrive at teh depot and temporary offices.
W.J WIlson, former cashier at Middlesboro's freight office will be the agent in Harlan. The old mail route from Hagen Virginia to Harlan has been abandoned and the mail now will come by train.
Coincidently the huge chain that secures the monumental "Chained Rock" above PIneville was aquired from the railroad at Hagen Virginia. It was used in constructing the rail road tunnel at Hagen, Lee county, Virginia...(Part 4 tomorrow)

By the way I have heard my grandfather Jones talk about going to Hagen Virgina for supplies,and old Henry Surgeners store at Dizney would take awagon across the mountain to Hagen for goods to sell. The track having being completed to Harlan, soon would go to Evarts and on to Kenvir. The track was to Harlan in 1911. It took from then until 1918 to reach Kenvir. Peabody loaded their first car in Kenvir in 1918...Chris

The Coming of the Railroad to Harlan County Ky, Part 4 4 
Posted by: Chris - 6/11/2004 (8:27) - 65.207.126.148
Good morning folks, All Boarrrrddd,... Harlan, Harlan Town station, next...

Despite the earlier optimism reported in the Knoxville Journal the 60 miles of railroad from Tejay to Benham were not completed until September 4, 1911.
This was due to additional branches of track that were laid to Balhan, Colmar,Amru and Harlan. There was a lot of enthusiasm toward the train service into Harlan Town and beyond. In old writings and on old maps Harlan was often referred to as Harlan Town to distinguish it from the county of Harlan in which it is located. Harlan county was called Harlan, and the city of Harlan was called Harlan town.
On August 12, 1911, the Middlesboro News Record reported, " Train service between Middlesboro and Harlan was inaugurated last Sunday and the train arriving in Harlan brought the largest number of passengers yet. Four coaches were loaded to the guards and several picnic parties from Pineville, Middlesboro, and other points along the line came to Harlan to spend a few hours, eat their lunches in the courthouse yard and see the city. Passengers sat on comfortable seats upholstered with beautiful red velour. They opened most of the coach windows without considering that it would allow soot and smoke from the belching coal-burning locomotive to enter the traveling compartments. During the colder months the passenger coaches were heated by fires which were maintained in pot belly stoves in each of the passenger coaches. Passengers often kept many of the windows open during the winter as well and the smoke from and soot from the stoves, as well as from the locomotive, entered the coaches that followed. Within a few months the seats were blackened by the soot.
Although their eyes burned and their clothing became soiled, the Miners and mountain people accepted the train. It was more than just transportion. It brought goods from the outside world and it was a diversion. Passengers alternately enjoyed the comfortable ride while leisurely watching the mountains as they closed in around them and the beautiful scenes as the train enterd open valleys. ( Part 5 tomorrow) Have a good day ...Chris

The Coming of the Railroad to Harlan County Ky, part 5 5 
Posted by: Chris- Story written by Jadon Gibson - 6/14/2004 (18:02) - 65.207.126.148
Outsiders or "Furriners" as they were often called were coming into Eastern Ky and the local people listened intently to their strange way of talking and eyed the unique way they dressed. Eastern Kentuckians were exposed to more people and happenings within a few months than they had previously in a a lifetime.
Meanwhile the rail road construction continued. While building the rail raod in the area that is now Cumberland, an unusual incident occured. A worker who was native of the area and unfamiliar with the power of the Iron Horse, or of railroad saftey, saw a railway car loaded with ballast rolling in his direction down the newly completed track. Innocently he attempted to chock the moving wheels with his foot. Luckily he only lost several toes and part of his foot. The Middlesboro News Reacord bannered on September 2, 1911, New Train Service Monday. It continued, " A new train service will be established by the L&N between Middlesboro and Pineville and points on the Wasioto and Black Mountain railway, and new daily-except Sunday passenger service on the Straight creek branch.
"This train is the "Whirligig" and will leave Middlesboro on the regular schedule at 6:00 a.m. and will arive at Benham, the later station 40 miles up Poor Fork branch in the mines of the Wisconsin Steel Company, at 11:11 a.m. and leave Benham at 11:45 a.m. The layover in Harlan is about the same. The opening of the Poor Fork branch of the Wasioto and Black Mountain railway marks the completion of the line. The Straight creek branch extended six miles from Pineville to Kettle Island. Part of this rail line was constructed in the 1890's , but was extended by the L&N in 1911.
The left fork branch from Straight Creek to Griggs was built in 1906 with the addition to Harber, Ky in 1930. The 12 mile Chenoa Branch from Paulsen to to Chenoa had been completed in 1893. Puckett's creek Branch, extending from Blackmont to Wilfred, Ky was constucted by Black Mountain Railroad in 1919, but was later purchased by L&N. (Next story in couple days-Harlan County Ky and Lee County Virginia are connected by Railroad Tunnell. ...Chris

The Coming of the Railroad to Harlan County KY, Final
Posted by: Chris-Written by Jadon Gibson - 6/17/2004 (11:23) - 65.207.126.148
L&N recognized the importance of constructing rail lines in the late 1890's and earley 1900's. Other railroads, private companies, and even individual coal operators were also active in rail line construction. They often paticipated by furnishing the right-of -way or by doing the grading while L&N Railroad supplied the rail and track fittings. The railroad would then lease the use of the track to the coal company for a fee. Often the fee payment was received in coal for the train engines. Some of the lines handled in thsi manner were Four Mile Branch, Catrons Creek Branch, the Lick Branch spur, and Slaters Crek Branch.
The first Harlan County load of coal was shipped from the Aldrian Mine of the old Wallins Creeek Coal Compnay on August 25, 1911. The tracks branched at Baxter with one line following the Poor Fork branch of the Cumberland River and Looney Creek to Benham, Ky, a distance of 24.32 miles. The other rail line followed the Clover Fork branch of the Cumberland River through Harlan to Ages, 7.22 miles from Baxter. The trackage from Harlan to Ages was completed May 21, 1912. In 1915 the name of railroad was changed from Wasioto and Black Mountain Railroad to the Kentucky and Virginia Railroad Company. Later that name was absorbed by L&N.
Additional trackage from Ages to Kildav , 1.61 miles was added March 20, 1916, and track from Kildav to Evarts and on to Shields, and the Kenvir spur up Yokums Creek to the big mine Peabody Coal company was developing, followed in 1918. Railroad service from Shields to Seagraves Creek, now named Highspint was added the following year 1919. The rail line was extended three miles from Benham to Lynch in 1917 to serve the huge development of the United States Coal and Coke Company, subsidiary of U.S. Steel, which was loctaed at Lynch Ky. U.S. Steel owned some 42,000 acres of Coal land at the headwaters of Looney Creek and began intensley developing the property in order to tap it's resources in 1917. The construction of Lynch, a modern coal mining city with all the amenities to care for the needs of miners and other workers, began in September, 1917.
Mines were dug,tipples constructed and coal handling machinery installed with such rapidity that the first train car of coal rolled from the mines on November 1, 1917. By March, 1918, the mine at Lynch was producing 20 cars of coal per day and this steadily increased. Other large corporations were quick to realize the value of their own mining operations and purchased property in Bell, Harlan,Perry, Letcher, Floyd and other eastern Kentucky Counties.
An inportant L&N addition was made much later. It was the C.C.& O (Carolina,Clinchfield, and Ohio Rilway) connection, known as Martins Fork Branch, which connected Harlan Kentucky, by tunnel beneath the mountain, with Hagen Virginia. It provided a short route for moving coal from Southeastern Ky to the Southeast United States. Work on the track was completed December 1, 1930 after an expenditure of 5,300,000. The railroad line streched 19.6 miles. Extensive railyards were built at Corbin, Crawford, Ravenna, Neon, Loyall and Harlan to expedite the coal. The Railroad brought passengers and goods from afar and provided new markets for coal and other products. It provided a transportation link to the outside world. Rapid changes followed. Harlan, Bell, and Lee Conties would forever, never be the same--End.

NOTE: I think I will try to take apicture of the R.R. Tunnel from the Harlan side if I can, and have Glenn put on here if you all would like that..CJ
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Osborne Coinage Company , Cincinnati OH 
Posted by: Chris - 5/12/2004 (9:59) - 65.207.126.148
I was reading the web page of Osborne coinage company in Cincinnati. They at one time were known as the Osborne register company, and were the makers of nearly all the coal mine scrip used in Kentucky and Virginia, Tennesee and West Virginia. They were the makers of the Kenvir Great Heart scrip that was issued in the 1930's 40's and up until about 1950. All of this scrip has Osbornes advertising and identification on the reverse of the coin. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who has collected scrip for many years,and we brought up the subject of Osborne register co. Do you know that Osborne has a walk in vault that contains all the dies that produced the scrip for the various coal companies. They are still locked tight, and are only accessible by a limited number of employees. Only Peabody Coal can authorize them to make any additional scrip, which believe it or not, they did in 1983. Peabody authorized Osborne to allow the original dies to used by Providense mint to reproduce the Black Mountain dollar in celebration of their 100th anniversary. These dollars are exactly the same as the original, with the exception they are counterstamped with the word"copy" on the front, so as not to be mixed up with the original real dollars.I do not know how many of these were made,but I think it was a limited number for their employees. As far as I know, the dies were then retired back to the vault at Osborne coinage in Cincinnati. You know one of the most sought after pieces of Black mountain scrip is the 1939 25 cent piece. Sometimes mining companies would run short of a particular denomination of scrip, so they would have additional pieces made. Peabody at Kenvir had additional quarters made in 1939, and as far as I know they are the only pieces of Kenvir scrip with a date on them. All the others scrip had no date on them. But these quarters bear the date 1939 on the reverse of them. So there are two different Black mountain Great Heart quarters , the original with no date, and the additional 1939 issue quarters. I do not have one of the 1939 quarters, but have seen one. They are very scarce, and if you happen to obtain one, you have a very valuable piece of scrip indeed. Osborne register also supplied the scrip machines that dispensed and kept record of the scrip. I do not know what went with the scrip machine used at Black Mountain, but the last one I knew of on ebay, the were going for about $800 to $1000 dollars. A little rich for me. I would say a lot of scrip still lies in the ground, or hid in the cracks at Kenvir, every now and then a piece turns up again. Real nice weather here today, Hope all you friends and neighbors have a nice day....Chris


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The final resting place of F.S. Peabody (One of Many)

Posted by: Chris - 5/10/2004 (18:52) - 65.207.126.148
HI Kenvir friends, I have been corresponding with a very nice man who is employed as a tour guide at Mayslake, the Peabody Mansion bulit in 1919. He dropped me an e mail concerning Mr. Peabody's final resting place. The story goes that F.S. Peabody, founder of Peabody Coal Compnay was having a fox hunt on the property of his new home Mayslake in Illinois. He did not return, and was found dead some distance in the woods away from the main house. This was in 1924 and he was buried in a regular cemetery. After the death of F.S Peabody the family sold the home to an order of Fransiscan Monks,who used the house and property as a monastary until it was sold to the county of Dupage Illinois just a few years ago, who have now preserved it and opened it to the public. IN 1926 Stuyvesant Peabody,who was called Jack and the son of F.S. Peabody built a chapel on the property in memory of his father to be used by the monks. It was built on the spot in the woods where F.S. had fell dead, and jack had his father dug up. and buried beneath the chappel. Jack himself was buried there 20 years later in 1944. After that a rumor was started that F.S Peabody had been buried in a glass coffin, submerged in oil to preserve it, It wasn't,, but soon the chapel became a hang out for youg teenagers daring each other to search for old man Peabodys tomb. The chapel was a considerable distance from the main house, so when the problenm with tomb hunters became so bad, the chapel was moved closer to the main house, and the Peabodys were dug up and moved with it. The chapel had been built on an exact replica of one in Italy. The original cost of the chapel was $26,000 dollars, it cost 104, 000 dollars in 1973-74 to move it and the Peabodys and the 158 monks who had died through the years. You wont believe it , but they were moved again! They were all dug up after this and moved again. The Peabody's and all 158 of the monks were moved and are buried (As of today) in Hinsdale, Illinois. I gues you could say Mr. Peabody really got around, even in death. F.S Peabody's son Jack was the president of the company and his son Stuyvey after him. and both of them were president for most of the Kenvir years. Thought you might enjoy this....Chris

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Down In The Bottom  

Posted by: Bonnie H - 5/5/2004 (19:54) - 209.143.61.32
I lived most of my Childhood years in Evarts and it was called The Bottom,and I suppose it was called that because it was at the bottom of a great big Hill that led to the Mountain,I was born on top of that Mountain,All of the African Americans lived on top and down the side of that Hill,they had their own community there with a church and School,and at the Bottom was Snuff Street and a little road with houses behind Snuff Street,My Aunt and Uncle Floyd and Vina Cloud Hamby and their two Children,Lydia and Johnny and my Grand mother Gertie Eads Hamby lived next door to us,Mint Carmichael that taught school at Kenvir was our neighbors along with her husband and Son Junior,Next to them was the Fraziers,Tommy and his grandparents,then we had the Pridemore's Bill who drove a Taxi,and his wife and kids and their little Dog Fuzzy that I was terrified of him,He was a vicious little Dog,and Earl Rogers and his wife Rella lived across the road from us,He was my PE teacher,And Rella's Parents The Brooks,Mr. Brooks had a business in town Repairing shoes,and the Dotson's lived at the end of the road and was the only house left and it was moved away back for the new road,There was Sally Fields Dotson and Irvin her husband,and they had 5 girls and one son,the girls was Alice, Eva,Linda,Barbara, and Fredia,and their son was Homer,Linda was one of my best friends for years and years,and now lives in Hillsboro Ohio,and works at Wright Patt. as a teacher,She went into the Marines right out of High School,so this is some of my history on Evarts Ky. God Bless

 

Snuff Street,Evarts Ky

Posted by: Bonnie H - 5/5/2004 (12:07) - 209.143.42.107
I lived close to snuff street all of my childhood years in Evarts Ky.And I went everywhere with my Grandmother Gertie Eads Hamby,and she had lots of friends on Snuff Street, she ask me if I wanted to go with her and I said sure but wonder why they call that street Snuff Street,She said well every since I was a little girl they called it that because about everybody uses snuff and spits it on the Street because their houses was so close to the street,and especially when they set on their porches and she said we have to be careful not to step in it,which worried me because as a child I went barefoot all summer and did not want that snuff on my feet,My Grandma Gertie was a Snuff Dipper too,I can just see her pulling her lower lip down and pouring that Bruton Snuff in her lip,she would not use the sweet snuff,I can see her now with her 2 fingers held to her mouth to spit that snuff through,as so it didn't run down her chin as she told me when I asked her why she spit through her fingers,and that my friends is how I heard how Snuff Street got its name,God Bless


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Cousin Lillies stories of Kenvir
Posted by Gert on 11/13/2003 21:27:45


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Mine 30 store, ...Some more information
Posted by Chris Jones on 11/12/2003 11:20:15
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Dad Stidham became a preacher In Kenvir

Posted by: Gert - 10/31/2003 (13:44) - 205.188.208.76
cont.Something came to my mind today,Maybe this is why My Father sent and brought my mom to Kenvir.He had a change of heart he and my mother couldnt get along always fussing thats why dad took my brother Taylor and me to Kenvir.MOm called it Kidnapping .MY dad got saved and became a preacher while living there,While we lived at the Carpenter's Boarding HOuse .,dont know their names then who run it.But on the left in the house was a smaller room in front and the lady would have services certain nights, and they would sing so loud and play the tamborines, a good old Pentecostal service .and dance some times you could just feel the power come down all around.My dad got in and joined right in and started praying and got all enthused about the bible,I think he had prayed before in churches,But hadnt really considerd being a minister.But my mom would go to a church service at Blue Diamond at these peoples homes in 44 thsy were also Stidhams our kin folks, His name Jimmy Stidham he also use to come to Kenvir close to Dizney and hold service at a Church on the hill not far the The Black Mountain school. My cousin Bert Noble would also come,He was the son of my moms sister Frankie,He use to handle fire made from a bottle with a wick and oil ,JImmy Stidhams Daughter mmarried Lewis Sergent who was in alot of pictures on the front web,We use to go to church with them he had a blind sister who would sing with him,I remember the song they sung the most "Wait alittle longer Please Jesus til we get our loved ones in".Lewis sergent was a real good singer,and piano player he would beat the Tamborine too.He and his sister both are deceased today,He had a beautifuil home in Dayton Ive been to his Home,He done all his decorating he and his wife,They were interier decorators,.But dad wouldnt go then with my mother to the Stidhams home maybe once or twice,,.my dad got saved at the boarding house,in 46,he started telling others about God.He decided to bring mom to help him.she was eager to come she missed us children we were happy to see her come.She always sewed and made clothes for me and would do up my hair pretty,
Another thing came to my mind was how she would buy me paper dolls and coloring books.The paper dolls where of Shirley Temple mostly.How many remember those?.they were so pretty and she bought me one of those pink plastic cupie dolls with feathers,they were pretty and my children when they were small reminded me of those cupie dolls I bet alot remember them,But I loved the cutouts they had little tabs at the top to bend on the paper dolls shoulders to stay on.They sold the paper dolls at the company store too,Shirley Temple is older them me but I never forget seeing her at the movies in Bonnie Blue Va.I was just abour 4 years old but still remember her.how she could dance and had the curly hair.I can't recall if we had Shirley Temple movies at Evarts or Kenvir or not we may have had them.I remember them in Bonnie Blue because my mom would talk about them and mom would do my hair like Shirley Temple.She would want to get me trained to Tap dance,But I guess dad wouldnt let her or I couldnt learn one or the other,Never was good at dancing.I do recall the pretty movie stars dressed in the pretty Ball Gowns and their dancing then mostly remember the cowboy movies I still today like western movies,I loved Gene Autry movies back then,hope you enjoyed these memories,Posted By: Gertie Ellen Eachus,Dayton,Ohio




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Glenn?

Posted by: Chris - 10/31/2003 (12:01) - 65.207.126.148
Thanks Glenn, I thought you had told that story, be sure and transfer that to the story page,I think its great. You know my dad was post master in later years when the post office was in that building. The interior was remodled in about 1987 or 1988 I would say,and when the old post office boxes were removed,the wooden base they were on was also removed,and under this was the original tile,it was layed at an angle and was two different colors, maybe black and white or red and black, I cant remember exactly, but you could also see where there were circles cut in it, with bolt holes, that would have been where stools were mounted. Dad had some slips that came out of there, where hamburger was delivered from the commissary, those ice creams you describe sound so good. I met a man one time who was a clerk at Kenvir, his name was R.R. Tippy, and he proposed to his wife in the confectionary as San Antonio Rose" was being played on the Juke box. At the time I met them they had been married at leat over 40 years, and they had traveled many places in the US, and ever time they heard the San Antonio Rose being played, their minds were sent back to the confectionary at Black Mountain in Kenvir. Thanks glenn for the memories.......Chris


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Glenn?

Posted by: glenn - 10/31/2003 (11:37) - 68.105.109.236
1946 was my last halloween night in Kenvir. The only real recollection I have of that night was going into the confectionary store probably to buy a frosty maltie. I was 14 at the time and that night I was dressed as a girl using two large oranges as props. I guess I fooled the clerk as he seemed somewhat surprised when one of the kids told my secret. I was a little too old to be banging on doors so I spent most of the evening hanging around the restaurant area. One would hear a lot of horror stories to be perpetrated on halloween night but personally I never saw any damage the following day. The outhouses were always in an upright position.
The confectionary store ice cream serving station was on the immediate right as one walked in thru the front door with the frosty serving machine setting against the wall. There was a north-south service counter on the right side of the room and a few tables with chairs on the left side of the room. One of my favorites was an ice cream sundae with a hot caramel topping.

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Most powerful event in my life.

Posted by: Charlene - 10/30/2003 (22:39) - 205.188.208.76
I was about 3 when I first went to live with Aunt Ruby and Uncle Charlie. Before that, according to my Mom, we all spent a lot of time traveling together. Anyway from that age to about 16, I stayed with them off and on, a lot. I remembered laying in bed with my cousins, listening to them
praying. They were in the bedroom or sleeping on the couch. Seems like the whole house shooked. I never felt more protected in my whole life. I firmly believe if not for them loving and praying for me. I don know whatI would have been like. They showed me a family life, I never knew existed. They showed me GOD! Without this knowledge of GOD and their love. I know in my heart of hearts, I would have been dead before I reached the age of 16. My grandpa and grandma Nellie reached out to me too. Teach the word of GOD to your children and dont be afraid to pray out loud for them. The prayers will forever be there for them. Mine is! Charlene


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More Memories/I thank God for Glenn Robbins

Posted by: Bonnie - 10/29/2003 (15:36) - 216.117.50.139
You know I just thank God today for sparing Glenn and his family from Harm,I was thinking Folks,we could have lost Glenn and then we would have been up the creek without a paddle,we need to let Glenn know that he is very much appreciated,and I thank God for him,without him we would never had known what phases happened in our beloved Evarts and Kenvir,It has been an experience that I will never forget,I appreciate Glenn so much,He is like Moses to me,He had led us children and Grand children of Kenvir to a promise land that we would have never found without him,and I am so thankful for Glenn Robbins and this board or as I put it this Dream of his for his Beloved Kenvir,He had a dream to find his heritage and God granted it to him,Glenn Robbins is in my volcabulary alot,I tell everyone about how he started this board and his dream,I appreciate you Glenn and I want you to add this to my memories,God Bless Glenn Robbins


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Colored Camp

Posted by: Chris Jones - 10/27/2003 (16:51) - 65.207.126.148
I was reading all the post and read the post on Colored camp,No disrespect intended, It's always been called that,as far as I can remember. I am very proud of the way the White and Black people of Kenvir have been all through the years. As far as I know we never had any trouble or ill feeling because of race. They were and still are our neighbors, and I love them as much as any of the rest. My dad was the Kenvir post master for 25 years,and had no closer friends than some of these fine Black people here at Kenvir. Mr. Eddie B Diamond was a pall bearer at Dads funeral, and also attended mine and Carla,s wedding, along with his wife. Mother and I atttended Eddie B and Helens 50th wedding anniversary at their church,and it was so heart touching. When my dad was sick,Nadine White sent food to our house on a continuous basis. When dad died,the faithful black neighbors were there and cried like it was one of their own family. I remember Mrs. Burris,and Dorthy FLetcher, James Carr, an old Kenvir Miner, and the Berrys, The Fraziers, and many more. To us they were just fine old Kenvir folks like the ones in Number 1 camp, or no. 2, or 31 or where ever. They had started at the Black mountain school on the hill by the time I was in school,and we all played and got along good. I caught the chicken pox off of a Black girl who sat behind me in about 4th grade, Ramona Rhodeman, She had them, and some of the kids stayed away, not because she was black, but because she had been sick, well I felt sorry for her, and just kept right on talking to her like we had ever day, and I caught them. But I probably would have caught them anyway. I have thought about Ramona, have not seen her in years, wonder where she ever got to. I went to school with Kim Carr,and still see her ever now and then, we were always good friends. The houses in this camp are like the rest, just about all gone, few of the old families are still there. We all seemed to just get along real well, never thought them any different than any body else, got along good and still do. I think Nadine and some of her family were at the 2002 reunion,but as Dee said she has been sick. I think I will surprise her and stop in with the kids in a day or so. I know when she sees me she will holler to high heaven, and squeeze me with a big hug, always did. We have been blessed at Kenvir to have had such fine folks to be around both Black and White....Chris
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More Stidham memories.Kenvir USA

Posted by: Gert Eachus - 10/27/2003 (12:04) - 152.163.252.69
Memories continued:Another Community: I keep thinking of things about being in #1 camp came to me today,ITs about the colored folks of Kenvir.,as they were called in those days and I didnt know much about that community of Black folks.as they were not in our school.I just found out in people's memories and history on Kenvir,That they had their own school and community,near Dizney I believe,Margaret told about a colored woman who worked in the Restaurant and what good Ham- burgers she made.I forget what she said her name was and that she was always good to every one.My dad told about blacks according to what he had heard about them in the orginizing the union in Black mountain also how they tried to work in the mines when they were bringing in the Union BY the United Mine workers and John L.Lewis.,How they wouldnt have much to take in their dinner Buckets along with an onion.
Acolored man that I have memory of was how he bakedthe best hams,He had his own recipe in preparing it.I rememberthe time Mr Robert Black had him prepare him one of his baked hams and he shared it with us he was so proud of that ham,I never tasted anything that good in a ham in my life,He had prepared it mostly in brown sugar and Mustard,I distinctly remember the Mustard taste and I love mustard on anything,But it was so delicious,I never again tasted any baked hams that tasted like that one,Mr Black said "Hey look at this ham .This is good.And yes it was "its always lingered there in my mInd from right there in #1 camp.Ive never attempted to try to bake a ham like that one.I wonder if anyone else can remember A black man baking hams for people?there were alot of them that had lots of pictures about Black mountain Ive seen some posted on the Kenvir web page.Gertie Ellne Stidham Eachus Dayton,Ohio


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++KENVIR USA more memories

Posted by: Gert - 10/26/2003 (1:36) - 152.163.252.69
A good name for Kenvir,Ky.would be (Kenvir USA).we all love Kenvir.Black Mountain.we are touched with all the people and all the memories that came out of kenvir.WE are hearing more and more about that Little section of the Good Old US of A,I still feel precious memories linger still in our Hearts we think of the different people who went along with their ways of living.Maybe some didnt have as much as others of goods and food but they endured the tides.They accepted what came to them were willing to learn in the school. We had good teachers who were for the childrens benefit and was very serious and concerned that they got the best of education they all could give,I remember how we were all led to say our thanks in the morning and the reading from the bible and the pledge of allegiance,I believe thats the first I ever did say the pledge.I remember the shots given in the auditoriam we all lined up for shots.Quinching our eyes whinning,dreading that needle but it was soon over and we were letting down the sleeves.The camps were always filled and the people were so friendly no fist fighting and criticizing one another that I remember of.All the bike racing we would do I had an old red swinn BIke it had heavy tires and the ball bearings would go out,MY dad Palmer would go hunt bearings and take it apart and fix the new bearings in and I was in business again I dont know where he got the bearings they were little round heavy balls like a marble and would be oily and smelly.,Hed work on the tires too.My Brother Taylor and me liked to play bob Jacks he was the biggest cheat in Bob Jacks.He made sure he would win all the time,when we bounced the bob jack ball and went after a certain amount of Bob Jacks to put in our hand if we touched other bob jacks that was called Burning. He say Bam you burned so you lost "I won and he would laugh.he once bought me a Jump rope for ten cents in New Port Ky.and he always reminded me of that,He'd say don't you forget I bought you a jump rope in New Port.Then he turned it in to kidding me.I love to jump rope.We all remember the things we done there nad more keep coming to our mind we just wish we could go back to that time to see it once More,Ive even dreamed of being in that House i lived in back then,We would go down to the dump looking around and alot more would go down there too.There was a guy came by taking pictures he said fifty cents a picture and dad had some made With my brother Taylor and me.One is on my Kenvir picture page.Before my brother died in 97 he came to my house and we got to talking about what we remembered about Kenvir.He had a lot of memories said he'd like to go back and visit there,He remembered Mr Mellon the teacher who was on the Titantic,he remebered his name better then me he was his teacher also.I remember asking my mom later about the Titantic did she ever hear of it,she said sure,Theres a song about it "were youthere when that great ship went down.Husbands and wives they all lost their lives ,"were you there when that great ship went down?I remember lots of good songs back then on the radios.One that really stood out in my mind about alittle girl in San Marinia California Had fallen into a well there,and died Her name was Kathy Fiscus, It said Kathy they called her met her doom that day I know it was God that called her away,Kathy with playmates were all having fun then they had all started run when they looked back she wasnt there.Now in San Marina there s a heart broken Home>Its really great thats asong of anything or a poem can really put more memoris in our mind Of people places and things,Theres lot of people I can't remember their names but i sure can remember hearing about that little girl when I lived in #1 camp >I believe it was 1948.I believe that song was in Glenns Music room somewhere.I can remember the company store and my mom and me going to buy Material to make me things for school she liek the red checked matareial and once made me a pintafore jumper it had ruffles that went over the shoulders .I really did love that outfit,Yes our Kenvir will go down in History and many will remember beacause ef all us Kenvir people memories,everyone could tell their part and the half never been told.Hurrah for Kenvir USA .a standing Ovation-Gertie E.Stidham Eachus Dayton,Ohio

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My last of Memories/Evarts Schools
Posted by Bonnie on 10/21/2003 13:49:51
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Peabody, Mine #70
Posted by Chris Jones on 10/21/2003 09:25:28
Re: Peabody, Mine #70
Posted by Chris Jones on 10/21/2003 11:55:58
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More Kenvir Memories++
Posted by Gert on 10/21/2003 08:50:38




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Speaking of Black Lung
Posted by Chris on 10/17/2003 08:08:49

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Our Dad's Black Lung
Posted by Bonnie /Doug on 10/16/2003 21:56:22
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+Ending Stidham Memories,Black Lung
Posted by Gert on 10/16/2003 15:09:52




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++Hard to tell-Stidhams++
Posted by Gert on 10/15/2003 22:43:06


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Whre did the name "Great Heart" come from?
Posted by Chris Jones on 10/15/2003 06:29:24
Mr. Francis S Peabody was a lover of horses,and purchased a young colt who was named Great Heart, and still had him at his death in 1922. Francis Peabody's son Stuyvesant Peabody Sr.(Who was simply called Jack Peabody) continued to train Great heart,who had developed into an extremly good jumper. A peculiar thing about Great Heart was that he would not jump over low bars,but once raised to 6 or 7 feet,his pep increased and his excitement grew. Great Heart inproved his jumping ability so well that Mr. Jack Peabody entered him the South Shore Country Club's 14th annual horse show in the jumping competition. He would be attempting to break the worlds record which had been set by a horse named Confidense who had set the record in 1910 in Ontario Canada. Confidense had jumped 8 feet 1/2 inch to set this record. It was June 8, 1923 as the crowd watched a horse named Great Heart go for the breaking of the Worlds record. Fred Vesey was his rider. The crowd was in intense silence as Great Heart topped the rail at 8 feet 13/16 of inch to set the new Worlds record. The crowd went wild, as eyes turned toward Mr. Peabody,who loved Great Heart dearly. Great Heart was retired after this feat, and resided at the Peabody farm, where folks from all over come to see the incredible jumping horse. In 1924 in recognition of his outstanding performance, the name "Great Heart" was chosen to be the trade name for Peabody's exceptionally fine grade of Coal being mined at Mine 30 in Kenvir Kentucky. Mr. Peabody figured just as Great Heart was an extra special horse, so was the coal at Kenvir an exceptionally fine coal,in fact so good it went with Admiral Byrd to the South pole. Two great champions, Great Heart the horse and Great Heart the coal.

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++More Memories.Stidhams++
Posted by Gert on 10/14/2003 19:43:28
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Three parts as of Oct 14, 2003

The History of Black Mountian, Ky.
Posted by Sue Jones on 10/13/2003 13:23:18
Kenvir is located in Harlan County on a section of Black Mountain approximately four miles from Evarts, Ky. The name Kenvir was derived in a strange manner. It seems that Kentucky said the land in this particular area belonged within its state's boundary and Virginia said it was rightfully theirs. In the end, Kentucky ended up with the land. Because of the dispute, they used the first three letters in Kentucky (Ken) and the first three letters in Virginia (Vir) to make up the name Kenvir.
 William Thimas and Samuel Middleton were two of the early settlers that were attracted to this area because of the isolated mountains. They settled in before the real coal mine boom. No exact date is known. 
 The most important thing to ever happen in Black Mountain area was the opening of the coal mines that took place in the early 1900's. Mining started on the North side of Black Mountain, but no records were kept of the employees. There are very few people still living to tell about this particular period.
   The initial mines opened were owned by Peabody Coal Company under the Black Mountian Corporation. Mine #30 was started in 1918 with an average daily production of "two thousand tons." The superintendent was Homer Clark and the Local Union president was Clyde Huges. Mine reporters were Thomas Marsee and Curtis Frazier. This particular mine was also the oldest Union mine in Harlan County.
  There was an estimated peak of 7,000 people in this area before the closing of the mines in 1958 and overnight more than 2,000 miners were without jobs or even prospects of employment.
   All the surrounding land was owned by the Peabody Coal Company; therefore the entire coal camp of Kenvir that sprang up was owned outright by the company. One of the first institutions built after the mines went into production was the Black Mountain Hospital. It was located in what was known as Offical Hollow. ( The part of Kenvir referred to as Official Hollow was that section where all the officials of the mines lived. The superintendent, foremen, and doctors lived in the hollow.) "it was regarded as one of the best hospitals in the state at that time." Doctor Ruley, the chief surgeon at the hospital later went on to become the chief surgeon at a hospital in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
   There was also a medical clinic in Kenvir. "the clinic was staffed with three liscened physicians and a registered nurse. The medical program set up at the clinci was paid directly by the miners and their union. Each miner paid $4.00 a month out of his pocket which covered all care whether administered at the home, office, or the mine.

The Black Mountain Corporation, among many other facilities also also owned and operated a large commissary or company store. Under the roof of this enormous building, miners and their families could purchase clothing, hardware, groceries, and most home needs. This store department at first accepted scrip in exchange for goods. Scrip was a metal coin used the same as money but only redemable at the company owned store. Miners could also acquire credit. They received a written bill of sale for every purchase. At the end of the month the account was subtracted from the miners wages. The company store also contained the offices of the Peabody Corporation mine #30 and #32. Today, sadly as it is, only the foundation remains of this one time great shopping center.( The vault still remains.)
History Continued!
Posted by Sue Jones on 10/13/2003 16:28:57

 History Continued!
Posted by Sue Jones on 10/14/2003 11:54:48



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++The Stdhams Of Black Mountain"
Posted by Gert on 10/11/2003 21:24:34
Cont.I Will never forget the Chrismas time at Black mountain as long as I live,It alway's gave me the best and warmest feelings i never forgot those days,They soaked into my brain to remain there, no one could ever remove them memories of that time I was just learning to enjoy Christmas more my dad and mom would even take part in going to the school to see the Children put on their little Chrismas plays ,I never was in a play but brother Taylor was,Though he was very shy, but I cant forget those little folks dressing up as Mary and Joseph and the wisemen who came to the stable when they saw the Star in the East to show a new born king Had arived on the Earth and laying in a manger,They would say little lines about the Birth of Jesus.To me that was real great to get to watch and observe the little things they did.look real big to me.They would sing those wonderful carols we were never dreaming that the time would come when a wicked old woman like Madilyn O-Hara with her hair brain ideas cause it all to be removed from our class rooms Just one Voice How sad!!.Gone are those days but not gone far from our memories I know each and every one of us from Kenvir can remember the time whe we were free to have nice Christmas Programs for every one to come see without any interruption from the Government,because they listened to One person speak out against our freedom that voice is gone today she met a violent end,she reaped what she sowed,May there come a time someone will awake to the fact and cry aloud and spare not and restore our freedoms once again in our schools everywhere even at Black Mountain.
We would draw names and buy each other alittle gift and would get a little treat from the school.I remeber if I even got some coloring books and crayons i would be ticked so much I loved to color.I like all colors I would color different then others I would take the brightest color red nd blue and trace around the lines then softly color within the picture.it would look so pretty.I remember the first time I ever heard the song.White Christmas BY:Bing Crosby. I thought that was the prettiest Chrismas Song I ever heard,except "It came upon the Midnight clear,Away in the manger,and Noel and Silent Night Holy Night.I loved all these dear songs,wish I could have sung them all year,How could we ever forget the great large Christmas tree at the Company Store and the snows were heavy in those days we would wade them to the knees almost we really didnt have to dream of a White Christmas.we had one evey year that i know of and it was beautifuland we didnt mind the cold.Every one joined in to celebrate Christmas,They would send out cards to each other,There were brown sacks of treats passed out to allthe children at the tree The tops of the bage would be rolled in a little roll to grip them easier.I remember How Glenn Robbins told in the Kentucky Explorer how he helped to pass out the Brown bags of fruit and candy and when he was through there was none left for him.I felt sad about that,but there was usually an apple an orange and candy for us all to enjoy,Those were wonderful days to remember and shall stay in our memeory.
In the spring at the company store there was a platform i suppose to be for speeches and such but they would allow people to come and sing and play music there if they wanted ,My dad took advantage of it lots of times he would talk to thep eople about God and try to spred the word . I would take my guitar and dad and me would sing.People would love to hear us sing.There was one song many requested It was "Dont turn me down dear lord but give me one more day.There was the Sherrif or he could have been a policeman.he came and requested dad to sing that song for him,He loved to hear it.and he really liked my dad,he would talk to him alot,My dad never forgot him he woukd tell about him through he years.We sometimes dont like to remember tragedies that happen,But he later got killed I forget how," I believe someone shot him, He lived right up at the corner as you come into Kenvir .just above Jim and Dee Hughes home .That really hurt my dad ,we went to his viewing he had one son about 4 years old and left a wife.We remember the good and we remember the bad things that happen ,we just learn to pray about these times that come and wish with all our hearts we could bring it all back again as it should be and restore.more continued Gertie E,Stidham Eachus


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My Memories
Posted by Bonnie H on 10/11/2003 16:38:49
I got up today and it was a beautiful Indian Summer day,and I am alot like Chris about smells,I get a scent of something that brings back memories and I smelled oil and Gas from the neighbor man working on car's,and I remember a good hot Indian Summer, years ago in Evarts Ky.and getting out of bed to that oil and gas smell coming from outside,I would look out and see Daddy,his brother Baker and his other brother at times Gene,they would be watching Daddy and discussing a car that he was working on,I couldn't wait to throw my clothes on and go listen to them talk and work on the car,Baker always made over me,once I had a cat and had lipstick on the cat's mouth and Baker said it looked up at him and meow with those Red lips,LOL,he still talks about that,I loved my uncle Baker and Aunt Pauline,They used to come all the time and visit us and we would go to their house,they would drink Moonshine and with their cousin Junior Bray would have old fashion Hoe Downs,and Jimmy Jones Dad Cy would come over ,that was a long time ago because now they gave their lives to the Lord and don't do those things anymore,but it was just their way back then after working all week in the mines and then working on cars and all of them was good Carpenters and always remodeling their homes,that was how I suppose they let off steam,Baker would be about drunk and say that Junior was best ole Hunting Dog he ever had,that he didn't need any hounds when he could take Junior hunting with him,Ole Junior would get mad sometimes at Baker over it,but knew he wouldn't stop Baker from telling it on him,LOL,Mom and Pauline would just set and laugh at them,I heard story after story about them working in the mines and how my Granddad's father had just disappeared one time and never was heard of again,I remember his name but have forgotten it,I think it might have been Walter,I know he worked for the Railroad,and left a wife and children behind,they was from Georgia,but he was never heard from and couldn't be found,some say he might have went back to Ireland,wish I knew,but maybe someday I will find out,would be nice to know who he was,My Uncle Baker Burns and his wife Pauline[Gilley]Burns still live in #1 camp and I think of them often,I love them so much,Gene is dead now so Baker is so much like Daddy that I love to just hear his voice at times,But its funny how just a faint smell can bring memories back.

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How I got started on the Board
Posted by Bonnie H on 10/10/2003 23:05:17
Margaret got me thinking about how she got started on the board,and it was so strange the way I got started,I did not want a computer but my son insisted because he bought one that was really nice and he had this one that was still good,I said well I guess I could sell my things on it,I was selling out of my house and garage,I thought I would have the world of people out there,so I got started selling on it and was making great amount of money for awhile,also was on all of the antique sites,and bought quite a bit from people too,One day I was sitting here and I thought I might just type in Evarts Ky and see what gives,well I was so fasinated to see my name and year I graduated after all these years,but seems no one would answer me,so I thought well what about Kenvir,KY,I might see what it says about Kenvir,well I was truly amazed at all of the talking and writings between Gert,Edna,Margaret,Charlene,Ken and others,I thought my goodness they talk about the things that I know about,and their cooking and housekeeping and church sounded like me,I didn't know a thing about a message board and Sis Gert found me rambling a way over in topic they had done months before,but it was new to me,I really fell in love with the talk,and at the time,I was house bound and lonely,after your friends quit asking you to go places because they know you are stuck at home with a sick mother,I felt so all alone,I felt I was forsaken by all,once the church was a big thing for me to be involved in and I loved it ,well now I could hardly ever go because I had to stay with Mom,and my Mom has Alzheimers and can't relate to a normal conversation,and Rhonda my daughter in law worked for my daughter Lisa,so here I sit all alone and bored to death,I was sick of TV and work,My nerves was so bad,I looked forward till 4 pm every evening for Doug and Rock to get home to talk to me,Well after I met Gert and Edna I was so happy,Edna had me laughing so hard,we played like we lived in a tree house,and Sis Gert was so warm and friendly,then I met each one at a time,and the impact you guys has had on my life you will never know,I can share things and talk to you all about things that I couldn't with alot of my friends because they had no idea how I was raised or understood it,Just like Chris talking about Great Heart,I also remember Dad giving me some but through the years they got gone,how I would love to hold one once again in my hand,each one has brought my past alive in a way that is atonishing,Ken lived alot like I did about his cars,I loved my cars too,I was always called a Hippie,LOL,because I guess it was because I loved simple things,To me Beauty is looking at a beautiful flower or the Blue sky,I would set for hours at a time Marvelling at God's Beautiful Universe,I could spend a day in the woods watching nature,with my children,My daughter said she thought she had the coolest mom in the world because sometimes I would just park the old Vacumn and leave the old mop soaking and say lets go for a picnic in the woods and sometimes Doug would get home to find us in the woods feeding the Ducks and wildlife but he never said a word sometimes he would set with us,so its real hard for me to set in the house now,but you guys keep me entertained,you are my people,I appreciate each one of you and love you all,my little family,God Bless



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The Stidham's of Kenvir"
Posted by Gert on 10/10/2003 21:34:16
Cont.My father Palmer was always selling his old ford's and getting a different one,He'd say I think this one will run better and get us around to Church. He sold again.maybe $150 or close.This one weekend he decided he's going to Barwick.Ky.to visit my aunt and uncle "The Bakers".No offense to the Sizemores,as my dad's mom was a Sizemore,She died when Dad was two years old and he can't remember her.Her Father was an indian Chief,Chief Black Hawk Sizemore,I was told.But my mom said the Sizemore's love to go places and visit.she said:" Now Palmer" I guess you've got the Sizemore stirred up now,to run-a-bout My dad had a nickname like George Jones does, people called him the "old Possum.Or Poss for short.If anyone seen him coming back at Barwick They'd say here comes Poss,Mom said Palmer you sold your car how you going to Barwick? He said "why Lail" I got a Buddy right down here in #1 camp down close to the end said he'd' take me anywhere I want to go.I'll get him to take me and give him $20.He may have been the one he sold the car to .I don't know for sure.When we usually drove down ourself we walked across the mountainwas usually daylight out, there was no road through there,But the guy agreed to go.Dad didnt tell him we couldnt drive all the way there, but later he decided he would go through the line Tunnel.It was getting dark.He told that guy. we'll find a place to park the car at Chavies (which was above Barwick and it will be faster to go through the tunnel then over the mountain,I still today don't know who that man was but maybe he'll read this and remember if he's still living .But we got to Chavies .Ky.and had to walk along ways down the tracks to the tunnel.That guy was beginning to get scared .I was scared of the tunnel too.I had been through it before,There were man holes anyone could step insdie should a train come through.A woman whom was a kin to us name lottie Stidham Davidson would sell Milk and Eggs and carry them to Chavies,A man had been drunk and got killed in the tunnel and she stumble upon his head and went on out and some people lived on the other side she knew them ran to their house and told them someone had got killed in the tunnel and the man knew his son had been Drunk and wet through the tunnel and he felt it was him when he checked it was his son.The closer we all got to the tunnel I believe the guy who brought was almost in notion turning back ang going back to Kenvir. dad said we come this far lets continue on,The guy said If i go throught that tunnel and have to run for ir all I can say is "Feet dont fail me now"My dad got a chuckle out of that he said me too.We got throught the tunnel and up strongs Branch and my aunt mary Jane fixed us something to eat and we stayed the night and headed back the next day but i think we came across the hill and not through the tunnel.I was scared to death of that thing. I mean to tell you "dad could never get that guy to go again.
I alwsys loved to read comic books Romance and detective books.I would save them up and soemtimes swap with others and I would take lots of books to Barwick for My cousins to read.Thye would be so happy to see me coming with Books.They would have some too and i would bring some back with me.I can remember super man.There were also comic romance Books.I was anavd reader,Checking out about Romance.It was always a hard trip to take But my dad he always liked to get up and get around,That's why we lived in so many places,I was gettin close to my graduating from the gradeschool was dreading to Leave Black Mountain school I love to go there ,There was always something pleasant about that place there,anyway thats how I felt about the black mountain school,when I heard it burned in 99 I set down and cried over it and said what a waste.more continued-Gertie E.Stidham Eachus


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"The Old 30 Commissary"
Posted by Chris Jones on 10/10/2003 10:56:56
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Green School House Building.
Posted by Margaret on 10/10/2003 02:48:51

The Green School House in back of the Black Mt School as I remember it .
My first day of school was a little sad my sister Brenice was the one that had took me every place she went all my life and she had got me a pretty little dress she was going to put on me to wear the first day of school she had been working at a restaurant in Evarts and paid for the little dress out of her tip money ,she always loved going to church up on the hill at the Methodist and she got to know the new preachers son fell in love with him and got married the day before school started and she was not home to take me to school the first day and my brother Ralph had to take me , my Mother never was in the school house she stayed home all the time the only place she ever went to was Harlan or Macks in Evarts .
I remember being scard to go that first morning and cryed because my sister was not there to take me , I remember what seemed to be a long walk up that graveld road my little legs was hurting and I wanted my brother to carry me like my sister would do when I got to tired or if I didn't have on shoes and the road was hot , I would say carrie me NE-NE and she would , my brother kelp trying toget me to hurry up and I was walking as fast as my little legs would go , and I was always a day dreamer , and the walk seemed so long to me up that hill and scary I started day dreaming ... when I was scard at night I would sing in my mind the song { Here comes Santa Claws ~~~ } and I would fall asleep .. and so I think I was singing here comes santa claws and seeing the face of Chester Smith and my brother told me to shut up , a lot of other kids were walking up the hill and when we got to the curve there was a high path up on top where dirt had been stacked up when they made the road and we got up on that walking it was full of rocks that I triped on and some huge rocks big enough to set on , my brother set me up on one for a minute my socks had slid down in my shoes and I would not take NO !!! for an answer so he slowed down set me up on a big rock and helped me pull up them socks , after I got down off the rock and we started walking again that is when looked up and I saw the Black Mt School for the first time ... it looked soooo BIG ..so pretty AND sooo scary !!!
My brother walked me up all them steps took me around and looked in the glass doors to see which room my friend Barbara Ledford was in and he open the door and told me to go in there , I think the teachers name was Miss Carter I didn't get to stay in there , Miss Hale the other 1st grade teacher needed more kids and came in there asking who wanted to go with her , I didn't understand and said I wanted to go ... and so I never got to be in the same room as my best friend and other Dr's Office Camp kids and I was sad and unhappy in that room and never did get to liking school that year , But the teacher was nice and I liked her she found out I could sing and gave me a part in her play but I got sick and missed it , the other teachers would ask her if I could come sing for their class after lunch , I was shy but I did it and all the kids liked my singing I would sing ever song I knew but I never knew any of them all the way through so it didn't take long for me to be out of songs ... I was sick most of that year and don't remember being in school very much untill I got to 3rd grade and I really liked school that year maybe I will write about 3rd grade next time .
Margaret Nunley Puente

Some Happy Memories !!!!

Posted by: Margaret - 10/9/2003 (12:44) - 152.163.252.69
"Some Happy Memories "
My 2 daughters was born here in Harlan County they had their Dad's family here and came every summer and I would let them stay a month with their GrandMother .
My daughter's liked it here so much they didn't want to come back home , they had fun swinging on a swing in #1Camp that would swing way out over the creek , and they wanted to go swimming but it was not deep enough so someone told them and their friend where to go up around PondaMill Hallow , they said they jumped in and their toes sunk down into mud , they started screaming and would slid down in mud as they was getting out and the person that had walked around there with them and showed them were they had made a dam he came back running to see what all the screaming was about and he held his arms out and let them hold on to him , they had never been in a creek before and thought it was a mud hole .
Another summer they were waiting on the church bus one of my daughters was trying to look grown up and had got me to buy her a pair of shoes that was too high for her age I think she was only 12 or 13 and the church bus full of people was setting waiting in the ally and she said she came out the door saw all the people was looking and the shoes made her fall down her feet just went out from under her and her dress flew up and she got up and tryed to run but had to stumble around back of her GrandMother's house and the church bus just kelp waiting , she was so ashame , and the bus kelp waiting , finley one of her uncles came around the house not knowing the church people was there and was saying some cus words and she got him to go tell them she was not going .
When my daughter's and I are all together they will always tell about their fond memories in Kenvir and laugh about jumping in a mud hole and making the the people late for Sunday School .
Margaret


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Countin the coal cars
Posted by Nancy on 10/8/2003 12:13:57
My Papaw and Granny lived in RedBud on the little lane that went up the creek behind the Red Bud School. Papaw worked the mines all his life. He had an old '30 Dodge car and boy was it loud. I could hear him coming home when he topped the hill at the turn off for Pounding Mill and would stand on the front porch waiting for him to get home from work. There was almost always something for me in his lunch bucket. An apple, biscut with jelly, piece of candy. I really think Granny packed something extra for him to have enough to save something for me. After he retired he still couldn't get the mines out of his life. We would sit on the front porch swing and wait for the train to leave hauling out the days coal production and we would count the number of coal cars the train was pulling. The he would always say, "Well, they only loaded 100 tons today" or whatever the amount would be.He smoked a pipe and home rolled cigarettes too. Kept the tobacco in a little pouch on the bib of his overhauls. He taught me to roll them too. LOL. Never smoked any of them tho.Had a wonderful childhood with wonderful memories of my beautiful mountains.
Nancy


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Gertie Ellen Stidham Eachus
Posted by Gert on 10/9/2003 14:33:21
CON.As I had mentioned a bout my brother Roy Delaney,(his new name) Of Las Vegas that we had lost before ever moving to Black Mountain in 1940 he was 6 months old ,"for those who didnt Know.I found my brother after forty years,after searching differnt places even asked the Salvation Army for help But they didnt help me.I wrote to Frankfort ,Ky for his birh certificate when I got it I sat down and cried felt I was getting close to finding him.It was in 1981. I found him through a woman who lived at Yerkes, KY and from Hazard ,Ky records on marriages pertaing to thw woman who took him.When I found the mans name that had married her ,I called I said are you Esta Combs?,she said,LOrd No!!.But she knew who she was,I told about my brother I was searching.she said I can tell you how to find him But it will have to be through your father who then was still living ,I gave her his phone number she called him.Dad calld me . This was on Mothers day.Sh ahd Esta's son's number,he told us his Phone number .I called to Reno,Nev.He was working on his classic car in his garage >I told his wife who I was and I was his sister she ran to the Garage and said some woman from Dayton,Ohio is calling.' says she's your sister.He was out of breath when he got to the Phone,He couldnt believe it.He had went to Hazard a few years before to look for the Stidhams and no one would tell him anything,If he had found us then he would have seen his mother as it went she never got to see him again but we took him twice to Avawam ,Ky to see my dad,He flew to Dayton,in sept to see us we were even shown on the evening Chanell 22 news.WE thought we were big celebraties.Ive only got to see him four times since finding him,Once I got to go to Las Vegas for 9 days,What a thrill to fly on a plane for the first time awesome trip.My brother Taylor died in 97 at the age of 62 and he flew in for his funeral. Alot of our Kenvir Buddies were fortunate to be born in Kenvir Harlan county,Black Mountain and some still live there,and others scattered to different States thoughtalot in Ohio.But I was only there about 4 years The longest our family was ever together, I was Born in Breathitt County but real proud of Harlan county there is where I did alot of my learning and growing up.I was born at Barwick,Ky. in a little hollow called "Sunshine Hollow "My mother and father stayed with his parents Johnny and Julia Stidham,Mom told how she almost gave birth to me on the old tram road where they use to haul coal to be put on the train cars that went out of Millers Branch to the main rail road that would head towards Jackson and Lexington.MOm went that day to see her sister Mary Jane who lived over the mountain,she was working in her garden,Mom talked a little while to her and went in the house.then she began to have labor pains and decided she better get back home.Without telling her sister she headed out to cross back over the mountain,She said her pains got harder and she thought she'd have to set down in the road but she kept going and made it home,My dad went for the Midwife,My aunt missed her and proceeded to follow her she also was expecting,she took her 18 month old daughter Lillie Susan astride her hips and carried her most the way and got there just in time along with my grandma Julie helped to deliver me into the world,my dad didnt make it back in time with Midwife,MOm use to sing she'll be coming around the mountain when she comes.My cousin Lilli Susan once came to Kenvir and stayed a week with us,she took some pictures of Me in the road that goes down in #1 camp and shows Ralph and Glenn Allen coming up the road, I was dressed in my longer skirt and flat shoes and a blouse,Looking alot skinnier then I am today,more next time Gertie E,Eachus


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True Life Memory Story
Posted by Story Keeper on 10/9/2003 12:16:24
Can't remember the year but I can remember when the American Legion got one of the first colored T.V.'s and invited all the Black MT. children to come down and watch it. It seems like it was on a Sat. nite. There were two shows on that nite just for Kids. One was Jack and the Bean Stalk and the other was Peter Pan. They were shown on NBC Wonderful World of Disney. They had placed the TV on the little platform or stage area and put folding chairs around in a semi-circle all the kids eyes were glued to the screen as the nbc peacock came on with all the different colors and most gasphed as the colors showed on the tail of the peacock as it spread its beautiful colors for all to see. I remember during the two shows a couple of the guys came up from downstairs and passed out the little small cokes in a bottle and had a rack of Gordon brand chips and let the Kids pick out the flavor that they wanted either plain or BBQ. Toward the end of the nite some of the smaller kids had fallen to sleep and the older ones just didn't want to go home. Was a great nite enjoyed by all and another memory of time gone bye


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Hunting Great Hearts
Posted by Chris on 10/9/2003 08:02:35
By the time I was born,Peabody had shut down all the Kenvir Operations. They still maintained an office in the little club house building that we discussed some time ago. The tipple at 30 had burned,so there was nothing left there,but the Company buildings. The tipple at 31 is what sticks out in my memory. It had been mostly dismantled,I talked with former workers in later years a learned most of it was shipped back to Chicago and St. Louis. The washer plant that had been added in about 1953, however was left standing, to slowly rust away. The rail road track and all the side tracks were still there then, as well as part of the incline conveyor and the head house. I think about it now,and realize it was probably very dangerous to be around,but to a boy and his friends at age 12 or 13,there is no such thing as danger. We explored that tipple in and out, and all over that hill. What was left of the old industrial window glass we would throw rocks at, Of course they were all broke anyway. I have some pictures of what remained before it was finally completly removed in about 1998. I am going to send these to put on the board. One of the most exciting things I loved to do as a kid was hunt Great Hearts. These of course were the little hearts or scatter tags that were strewn over the gons of stoker coal as it left the tipple. They were burried in that coal dust around the tipple and tracks by the hundreds. In summer when it came a hard rain, I couldn,t wait for dad to get home and get him to go with me Great Heart hunting. The rain would wash them out of the ground and they would be sticking up, here and there. Dad was better than me,and I remeber him saying there is one,and over there is another. It was so much fun, like treasure hunting. A lot of them were dirty of bent, but ever now and then you would find a shiny one almost new. It was real exciting to find one from another coal company. Occasionally you would find one from "YANCEY" or "GOLDEN GLOW". These had no doubt rode the coal gons from these other places and fell off as they bumped together. Another good lucky day is when you would find one of the brass round miner checks,which had a number punched in it and a hole for hanging it up. This was a great place for a boy to explore. I know it was no doubt dangerous, but we stayed there anyway. I still have a lot of that stuff I found,I sure miss dad, and Great Heart hunting. In 1998 or there about, they started an operation moving the slate dump, and resrcreening the coal out of it,they dumped tons and tons where the side tracks, and tipple once stood, thus covering the remaining "GREAT HEART" scatter tags for good. They now have another company there that has it all closed off ,to try to get the rest of the coal out of the slate,so you can't get up there to do anything. I can recall these memories so clear. I will send some pictures of the 31 tipple befor it was finally completly dismantled....Chris

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precious memories
Posted by Doug Howard on 10/8/2003 20:53:04
As a young boy at Red Bud,All of us boys would play in the creek,in the summertime,it was just down the hill from us,One hot day,we went to take a cool dip in it,and must been years before someone had put an old car in it and it was real rusted,and down under water,hidden from view,so when I jumped in it cut my leg so bad but I really didn't feel the pain,but blood was flowing out,Some of the kids went and got a grownup and they got me out and thought my leg was cut off,my mom came and took me to the hospital,I almost lost my leg,but good old Doc Cawood sewed it all up,it was cut to the bone and has nerves cut in it,he thought I might not never walk again,as I was in the Hospital,I got Pneuomonia and almost died from that,It took months for me to get my strength back,but I could walk but it did turn my foot to the side,I have a hard time finding shoes to wear,and still have a long scar that will forever be there,and the leg is some smaller than the other,But the thing I missed most is going to Granny's and Poppy's But I had an old Dog that was so smart that I would write them a note and tell him to go to Granny's and Believe it or not but that Dog would take that note under his collar straight to Granny,and Granny would send one back,To this day I have never seen a Dog like that,Granny said it was because she prayed and asked God to make a way for her to know how I was doing everyday,and she said the old Dog was blessed,I often think about that and think how strange for me to have had a dog that smart,and it might just have been because of Granny's prayers.
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Glenn/can you add this one of Doug's?
Posted by Bonnie H on 10/9/2003 03:24:10
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Sabbath day/Precious Memories
 Posted by: Anonymous - 9/28/2003 (18:50) - 216.117.50.104
Since this is the Sabbath day,I will dedicate this most precious of all memories to the Mountain Assembly Church of God in Kenvir,Ky....These are the most precious memories to me is when we would leave my Granny's house at Poker Knob,and Granny and Poppy and me would walk about 3 or 4 miles on a Saturday Evening to the Mountain Assembly Church of God at #2 camp,They gathered there with a house full and yard full,and you could hear their praises for a half a mile away,I can remember Joe Moses playing the Banjo,and singing,and a lady by the name of Cynthia,When the spirit of God would get on her,she would scoot her hills across the floor,with my Granny and Sister Byrant,I remember Hayes Harp the pastor and his wife Lela,He was a wonderful Preacher,a Great,Great man of God,and Lela was a wonderful Lady,they both was Spirit filled,and Joe Asbury,He would sing and play the Guitar,He was a wonderful Man of God,He Married Mildred Harp,Hayes and Lela's Daughter,Mildred was a Wonderful Christian lady too,and Charlie and Ruby Mc Hollen,they were wonderful people too,and Frank Roarke,I think he was a Deacon in the Church,He would read the Scriptures for Hayes Harp,Hayes couldn't read but in time He kept praying and God gave him the Knowledge to read the Bible,Praise God,that was a Miracle,also I remember Sister Smitty,she was a wonderful lady too,All the ladies had very long hair,and when they got to shouting you would see the long hair flowing and Bobbie Pins flying out of their hair,I remember the power of God falling on Hayes Harp and he would run the back of the church pews,I was just a boy,and was taught to respect the Church and Godly people,so this is my most precious .
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 Glenn/can you add this to one of Doug's?
Posted by Margaret on 10/9/2003 04:06:31
I remember all of them people and how much they seemed to enjoy church meetings ,but I had forgot about Cynthia she wear a patch on one eye they said she had cancer in her eye and they removed her eye , poor Cynthia .
Margaret

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My Memories-The long Road Home
Posted by Bonnie H on 10/8/2003 20:07:20
I was thinking about the Long Road back Home and it Corresponded with The Long Walk Home of Memory,Everytime I ever traveled that Long Road Home,My mind would start going back in time,and I would start singing IN THE PINES,and Blue Moon of Ky,I would feel over joyed as we would get closer,When My children was small,I would point out all the things that I remembered,and they would get real excited too,Today my Grandson says Mam-Ma will you take me to Walmart,I said maybe,I got to thank on it,He said what does that mean?I laughed and he said well I have a hard time understanding you sometimes,I told him I guess its because I'm from Ky.He said well I always wondered what it was,I thought that was cute,and I thought to myself,Oh how I wish he could have known the simpler life as I did,He has missed out on so much,So I thought its about time for me to start teaching him about the old ways,So I told him story after story this evening,He set very still and enjoyed it so much,that he didn't want to go home,and as I walked back toward the Kitchen,I saw Mom standing there and I got to thinking about how bad she has it,so I set with her and told her alot of things,and reminded her of our Long trips back home,When we left there Mom was younger than I am now,A pretty dark haired black eyed lady,and now she is old grey haired and don't remember very much,but it seemed that her eyes lit up as I was talking,and she cried and said what's wrong with me,I said not nothing mom,we are on a long trip going home.



True Life Memory Story
Posted by Story Keeper on 10/8/2003 19:39:22
We were in the third grade at Black MT. in Miss Hubbard's class 1959 was the year waiting for the bell to ring for recess. We were all good friends and played alot together making up things and acting them out as we went.Sometimes we played the Lone Ranger and Tonto, Zorro and Bonanza. Today we were playing Bonanza. As we came out the back door of the old green school house Hoss meets us at the foot of the steps just a screaming Dagum it Pa Little Joe has done went and got himself tied up again in them thorn apples so here we go a riding our play horses.Singing the bonanza theme song to recuse poor old little joe. He was always hiding things in that patch of biars and getting hung up and cut all to pieces. Pa says Hoss take your coat off and lay it on them thorns and put your weight on it. Hoss replies ah Pa why can't Adam do it for a change. As usal Pa talked down to Hoss and made him get Little Joe out of them thorns all of us were getting cut and bleeding from this fine mess. WE finally get Joe out and start riding up the Hill to start getting the beech nuts to eat. This is a true story. Ben was Royce Wynn, Adam was Danny Howard, Hoss was Billy Troutman and Little Joe was You guessed it. Ken Lockhart Ah THE GOOD TIMES



PeaBody #30 Comasary
Posted by Margaret on 10/8/2003 04:11:19
Harlan in 1990
Posted by Margaret on 10/8/2003 02:20:08
For some of you that did not come back home in the early 90's I would like to tell you how it looked as I remember it in 1990 when I moved back .
In Harlan the court house looked just the same as I rememberd it .. across the street was a Christmas store and where the Harlan movie theather was on the other side of the court house was not there anymore ... the 2 dime stores New Berries and Scott's was no longer there and the music store had moved across the street ... the lab where you would go toget a blood test toget married was not there it was a Lawyers office , and the old Harlan Hospital had closed down ... and was Dr Smith Howards office a man loved by all the people because he helped the poor and was a good doctor .
The GrayHound Bus Station was no longer there ... it had been nice at one time they had a restaurant in there ... and the other bus station where we would catch the bus back home to Kenvir was not there .. a Muffler shop in it's place and a B/P Convenient store across from the Muffler shop ..
At the Appalachian Regional Hospital it looked about the same , I saw black smoke coming from the ruff and all the windows doors and in side of the hospital looked the same as it did in the 50's .. now they have put all new windows changed the entrance around to what use to be the back of the hospital and built on some new Healthcare office's and I have not been inside so I don't know what they have remodled on the in side ... across the road where Macks was in 1990 but closed down they built a new CVS/drugStore and pharmacy it is very nice ...
At the Village Mall in 1990 I remember a gun shop that had a lot of things in the window such as coal miner hard hats with the light on top , and carbid lights , old Harlan Country Daily News papers that was so old they had turned yellow , and an o"timy adding machine , and I think some shot guns ... Magic Mart was there .. it closed down a few months ago so far no other store has moved in there , Kroger closed and now it is a Health Care Clinic ... in 1990 there was a Kmart .. Now it's a BIG!!Lots ...a dollar store and a Good Will Store ... we did not have a Wal*Mart in 1990 ... I think the drive in Movie was where the McDonalds and Wal*Mart is .. I remember looking out my Mom's Hospital window in the 50's and watching the movie but you could not hear it ... a drive in restaurant was there by the movie in the 50's they made the best hambugers on a grill and they had car hops .
Well that is all I can remember that has changed , I guess a lot has that I forgot but somethings are still the same .





School memories conclusion.
Posted by Chris Jones on 10/7/2003 15:39:29
I think I left off as I was in the fourth grade. I started the fifth grade and moved downstairs. Wow!, we was the big kids now. My fifth grade class was all the way to the end of the hall, over top of the furnace room. Boy this room was hot,On days in the Fall during Indian summer, when it was cool in the morning,it would be sweltering in the after noon. I had Mr. Crider for fifth grade, He was the first man teacher I had,and he was pretty well all business. He had the best room for discipline I believe I have ever seen,you could hear a pin drop in there,and he demanded respect, I may thought that was a little hard then,and scary, but you don't kmow how I appreciate him now. We learned in his class,It was the first class we started doing outlines in our studies. The down stairs of the old Black Mountain school had three sets of double doors, a set at each end of the hall way that led to the rear of the school, and the main front doors that went out on the front yard. I dont believe the main front doors had ever been changed,all the pictures I have seen, they are the same. If you were coming in from the outside,through these front doors, only the right door would open,the left door was held closed by the brass hardware that secured it when shut,but now both doors could be opened from the inside. I can hear the sound of those doors closing to this day,they made a particular bang, that I can still remember.The front doors led out to a long side walk that led to a set od steps, that then led to the road. At the end of this sidewalk wrote in the concrete was the words"Class of 1946" I believe. I suppose they help pour it. There was a short rock wall that surrounded the front yard. We walked around this wall many times. The ofice was just to the left as you came in, and the stairway was to the left, The auditorium was straight in front of you,but by the time I started in fifth grade, they had closed in two ends of it,making classrooms,that left a rather large room in the middle, but not as big as the auditorium had been originally. Next to where the staiway was at, was another room that led into the office, and they had a coke machine in there. Coke was 25 cents a can,and had the pull ring that came all the way off. I know some of you can remember pop being a nickel, but by the time I can remember it was a quarter. I can remember pop being 20 cents a bottle at our store at Dizney, The first pop I could drink all the way gone was a Brownie chocolate pop. Above the door to this small room was a big black and white office clock, If I had a nickel for every time I looked at that clock,I would surly be rich. I had Mr. Crider again for sixth grade, he moved up with us. I had Mr. Watkins for the seventh grade,and our class was in one of the rooms where the auditorium had been. In seventh grade I studied Kentucky history and loved it. I loved all my reading books, I went up to the old school after the new school was built,it was abandoned and empty, I have never stole anything, but I did take a set of my old reading books that we scattered on the floor, I do not regret doing this ,as that old buliding burned some time later. As I close, I remember riding the bus home in the evening,sometimes I would take the Dizney bus, and go up to my grandfathers, it stopped at his store. The Dizney kids were the last to get off, so the bus was about empty when we started up there. We were alowed to get up and put all the windows on the bus back up,seing we were the last group to get off. I left Black mountain for Evarts for the eighth grade, they had moved it to Evarts. It was a whole new world at Evarts, I liked it, but never as good as I did on the mountain at Kenvir.



My Memories/First Love
Posted by Bonnie H on 10/7/2003 18:16:18
Well I have thought very hard for a few days how to word this chapter in my life since the one it is about will be reading it,I will have to say as I was Riding my bike down the road from my house that the Best looking Guy in the world was coming up the Road,wow I thought he looks like Ricky Nelson,He says Hi and what's your name,I told him and he ask me for a date,I said I don't know if my Mom will let me but he says meet me at Johnson's Restaurant the next day and we will get to know each other,Well I couldn't sleep that night for thinking of him,so I met him and my Brother saw us together and told mom that I was dating an old man with a mustache,LOL,Love is blind,Larry,LOL,Well of course she had to meet him,and she liked him,We dated for 6 months and talked of marriage but that rascal took off to the city and came back about a year later,thinking he was going to start back like he had never went away,but by then I had cried him out of my system and really fell in love with Doug,so we parted friends,thats odd I never was mad at him,really,He went away again and came back after I was married to Doug and he brought his new wife and all four of us set and talked awhile,Years passed,about 35 years and one day a friend of mine here in Sidney says I have a new friend that knows you and Doug from back home and said you use to date her brother Larry Lockhart,She told me her name,so I called her and she told Larry about me,He called me at Thanksgiving about 6 yrs. ago from his Sister's house but he was about to leave and me and Doug had been gone all day when he tried to reach us,I have no feelings except friendship for him,He once was in my life,He calls me sometimes just to tell me how sick he is and we just complain about our illness'to each other,I talked him into getting a computer so he has been reading on here,He has a very nice wife and we have talked too,It has been 40 yrs. since I laid eyes on him,We wouldn't know each other if we passed each other on the street,and Doug is the love of my life,He treated me like a Queen,Me and Larry would never had made it,We was too different,I would have done and had that man murdered,LOL,Larry blames me for the breakup and I blame him,LOL,all I know at that time I thought I would die without him,but God had a different Love for me and that was My Doug,I didn't eat or sleep for weeks over that Rascal,LOl,Oh well life goes on and Praise God that he gave me Doug,the love of my life,and my best friend,no offense to you Larry but God knew that we would not have made it,I still think of you as a good old friend from another lifetime ago,God Bless .....



 #6 Gertie Ellen Eachus Stidham-Kenvir
Posted by Gert on 10/7/2003 07:32:31
I would like to mention before we ever settled in Kenvir My parents Palmer and Margaret Lalie Neace Stidham suffered the loss of three Children,two in death.MY only sister Patricia Anne Stidham died at 6 months at Barwick,Ky of Pneumonia.1936 I was young but remember her ,I can remember my dad rocking her,My mother had her children close together,Im 13 months older Then Brother Taylor He was born in 35 died in 97. next we moved to Bonny Blue Virginia dad worked in the mines there I was 4 years years old,we would come over the hill walking to Dizney.Ky to church,Next in 1940 we lived a Pioneer Ky.where my father worked in the coal mines ,the old timers called the place Hinner.My dad lost two toes in the mines there when slate fell on his feet.It was there my Brother Roy was born his name was Martin Palmer .that was my moms doctors name..My mom and dad as usual separated,mom allowed a woman name Combs keep my brother awhile to help her.My mom had 4 children at that time,The woman left with my brother and went to Washington state Of course at that time Mom and dad didnt know it, dad looked everywhere for my brother,We later ended up with Grandparents on Caneys Creek Kentucky They were very Poor but took care of us,I one day decided my mom was just over the Mountain i had went up this path by myself and thought that in my mind.I told my brothers I knew where mom was and we could go over that mountain and find her I said Im going do you want to go with me?my brother Taylor said yell.mY other brother "Billy Ray" had a habit of keeping his thumb in his mouth he would talk with it in his mouth He said Bam.can I go too.?I said Yell.Thats was our way saying Yes he was the only one of us kids who would curse and say bad words,He picked it up from hearing others curse,But my Grandpa seemed to read our lonliness and said Im taking you all to your mom.So we let out on the road walking.Grandpa even stopped at a house gate and a woman was in the yard ,he said do you have anything you could give these kids?they're hungry.she said I have some corn bread,she brought it out,It was soured.My brother Taylor threw his on the ground,We later on the main road hitchhiked ,a small car came by and picked us up. first time I ever remember riding in a car we always rode the trains and the greyhound bus when we traveled,Mom moved back to Barwick ,My dad had gone in the Army and it was there I lost my little brother Billy Ray to double Pneumonia I was fanning him when he passed away he looke up as if he saw Angels coming after him.When dad got out of the Army.we moved to differnt places he was always unsettled and couldnt stay put long anyhwere,We lived in new Port,Ky. where I first remember my first school attendance,My brother tried climb a fence and fell and almost died from a head injury,We later moved back to Barwick and my grandparents had moved back there and we satyed with them while mom and dad went to Dayton looking for work ,I went to my first One room school.Next we moved to Typo Ky.I went to school there across a swinging bridge,WE later lived at Blue Diamond,Ky where dad worked in the Coal mines I went to school there.It was there they chose me to read from the bible in the auditorium when they had a big gathereing for a program.My dad went to hear me read from the bible I walked up ther like a trooper and read and never missed a word In Psalms.I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my HelP.WE moved back to Dayton,Not long out of Kenvir.we lived on washington st,in Dayton.My brother Taylor kept getting in fights with some boys there about his age so the Landlady told my dad we had to move out.My mom amd dad would get in arguments.I never knew of him hitting her .they would just fuss,dad had apretty good nature ,I only remember him whipping me once with a switch and my brother caused it h got it too.dad almost cried he never tried to whip me again,Dad was never a father to tell us he loved us.My mom wouldnt either but she would correct us sometimes.It was then dad left her and came to Kenvir to find his job,I loved living in Kenvir seems if felt I finally belonged somewhere i was growing up. I remember how when I smiled real big or laughing My gums would show and I hated that I didnt want my gums to show I had nice teeth >my dad bought tooth brushes for me and said little girl you're gonna take care of them teeth and gonna Brush them ever day and keep them clean,He'd say without nice looking teeth a person doesnt look as pretty.My mom would tell me how To hold my mouth when I laughed and my gum wouldnt show.so today when i smile they dont show as bad,and with my dads teaching aboutt teeth Heigene. he's helped me to keep more of my teeth.I finished out my Grade school in 49.I really enjoyed the class with Mr,Jp King.he would paddle his students when they needed it.But he never paddled me,I can remember the clown of the class ,I dont remember his name but he was a great big guy ,he was always saying funny things nd make us all laugh When,Mr King went out he would take the erasers off the back black board and toss them over our heads we would all have to Duck down,No one would tell on him ,he wasn't a Bully just a big cut up to make us all laugh.One guy set in back of me,he would grab my hair and pull it and say look at the camel going across the equator Like I had lice,I wish I could remember some names .I believe his last name was Brewer.I loved to go the Movies there there were those Beautiful ladies dressed in pretty Gowns and they would dance,I remember the Movie Bambi.it was so sad to me as the little deer called for his Mother,while living at Evarts I alsowent to alot of movies I can only remember Gene Autry and the sons of the pioneers, there were others but not as mach an impact.I believe also saw Roy Rogers ,More continued-Gertie Ellen Eachus Dayton,Ohio



My Memories
Posted by Bonnie H on 10/5/2003 22:14:24
I remember my first day of school,my teacher was Miss Sharp,an old granny looking lady ,tall and white hair,but was so nice,Mom didn't send me to school until I was almost Seven because I was born with a heart murmur and was weak and sickly for a few years,but finally the Doctor said I outgrew it,but came back just lately,Mom protected and spoiled me alot so I was scared to death of being away from her,but after I saw how much fun it was I loved school,We lived on Evarts Hill when I started School,halfway down the hill from where I was born,so I rode to school every morning with a neighbor girl named Gayle Miller,Her dad worked for the power co.his name was Paul Miller,and my dad always picked us up,and sometimes he took us to school,as I got older I liked walking to school,we would meet up with a bunch of kids and walk and we would stop at the candy store,Bill Reece owned it,I remember close to Halloween we would get wax candy lips and we would put them on and laugh at each other,then in later years there was a custard stand that opened up,and we would get a custard sometimes,then Johnson's restaurant opened up,and that's where you hung out after school and played the juke box,I guess I loved School better than anybody,I couldn't wait for it to start in the fall.I wanted to be a 5th grade teacher so much,and meant fully to go to college but it never happened,I guess us moving so much back and forth to the city and back to Evarts,then getting married and having my kids,It just fell through,but the most precious thing in my life was children,I love them so much,I wanted more than two but it didn't happen,and then I couldn't understand why God didn't bless me with more,but then I understood it was because he had so many that needed me already born,so I have raised alot of kids,and had one from 3 yrs.to 18,although she did come back a few times to live with us after age 18,her name is Amy,I never felt any difference in her and my daughter Lisa,they are still very close like sisters,I remember when we lived in Evarts,we never had nothing but an old Maytag to wash on,and we would hang the clothes out even in winter,I always helped my Mom and did most of it myself as I got older,The clothes would freeze on the line and my hands would hurt so bad from the cold,But I wanted to help so we could get through faster so her hands wouldn't freeze for a long period of time,I was very protective of my Mom too,she would always have a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of soup for lunch everyday,we always went home for lunch from school,we only lived over behind the school then,it was called Florida Addition,my mom was a good mom,she took good care of us,her house was spotless,and she sewed and made Quilts and clothes for me,she cooked good hot meals,she would make scalves that she crocheted and have them on every piece of furniture,she would make Cakes from scratch,and she helped my Dad build a great big living room on the front of the house and helped him to put a bathroom in,They both were hard workers,and taught us to not be afraid to work and get dirty,Daddy made a nice wooden fence all around our yard and Mom was whitewashing it and as she was mixing the white wash,the wind blew it in her eye,she almost lost her eye,Mom always and to this day has that one gold tooth on the side,well its trimmed in Gold,She wouldn't look like Mom without that Gleeming tooth,LOL,Yes times was hard back then but we had a lot of Love.



Precious Memories Red Bud Hill
Posted by Doug Howard on 10/6/2003 01:42:42
When I was about 9 years old I went back to my Mother and Dad and left Granny's because she wouldn't make me go to school and my parents wanted to make sure I got an Education,and learn some rules,after living with Granny and Poppy all that time,I hated to be told to get the Coal in or told what to do,I was very rebellious,and would run back to my Granny's every chance I got,I hid one time under the show house in Kenvir,while they were searching for me,Well they found me and I got a whooping from my Dad,But there just wasn't any fun on Red Bud Hill,At Granny's I hunted anytime I wanted too,and just about did what I wanted,I was really a bratty kid,I was always a loner,I guess its because of the Rebellion I felt,I never did like to tell much to anyone until I met Bonnie,My cousin Bo Kelly was a few years older than me and my cousins,Pat,Otis and Bob Fuson,We would sneak and make Homebrew behind Granny's house,and get so drunk on it,Sometimes Granny would find out and dump it,My Dad Jim Howard was a Preacher and I knew if I ever drank in his house I would really get it,we pulled the wool over Granny's eyes lots of times,So I was a free spirit,My Aunt Lois Gibson lived next to us on Red Bud Hill and I would visit her alot and her children,and my Dad made me go to church every Sunday at the Baptist church in Red Bud,and when I lived with Granny she made me go to the Mountain Assembly, so I was raised both ways,It never hurt me any,I was Baptized at Red Bud,Then later After me and Bonnie married and got saved in a freewill Baptist,I would Read and study the Bible and found each church had Good in it,They are all gone now and how I wish I had been a better son,but times was different then,but the Mountains was truly my home,I almost lived in them,and hunted just about every inch of them,I think alot as I get older how I would like to hunt them one more time before I leave this world...

#5 gertie Ellen Stidham Eachus
Posted by Gert on 10/5/2003 19:25:05
Continue-I never would wear saddle Oxfords.I thought they looked sorta Gawky.But they looked good on others. My type was the penny loafers and white anklets and I would put a penny in them,they had little slots to put pennies in.Always parted my hair on the left side,and that part is still there today even though I don't wear my hair that way. I stil have alot of my teeth I had there Thank God.isnt he good to us?.I loved going to school there remember the big winding road up the hill to school.My brother Taylor would never walk with me ,he was bashful, would'nt hardly talk to anyone ,where I was outgoing and ready to talk.But I would frown alot and squince my eyes like sun was in my eyes,When we first started going to school there . Buddy went ahead walking fast and talking to these boys,he said one said to him ."who is that mean looking girl coming back there? Well Buddy was ready for the defense,He said Thats my sister Bam (my nickname)and nobody better not bother her. he felt he had become my big defender,.
If anyone ever saw my dad they would see him flipping his fidget stone.He had this little smoothe Rock.he said it reminded him Of Davids smoothe stone he put in a sling and tossewd it at The giant and brought him down,He said. this stone helps me to be calm he'd roll it over and over like tossing a 50 cent piece in the air,he kept it for years and findly lost it.My dad was real talented on doing special things like making creations.He served as Military Policeman in 1942 in the Army and had taken us all to Fort Brag North Carolina after we lost our brother Billy Ray at 6 years old.He learned to make these plastic rings,he would put an initial inside and sand paper it so smoothe It would be a real petty ring.Then he would get cedar wood and make little doll furiture it was so pretty looked like full size furnitue,He made a table and chairs,a bed and dresser and he would sandpaper it so smoothe like his rings and shellac them then and sandpaper them again and shellac again ,they would really shine he would say doing it over maks it more smoothe and shiny, I believe he sold them to people.He could make a sign with the Bent letters that said Jesus.He never gave me anything of what he made except before he died he gave me a sign that says Jesus and I have it over a window.He later in Life with second family Built a real nice house.My brother Buddy help to Finace it he gave him some money on it, THose were the days people would get Gold teeth in their mouth it was the style my mom and dad decided they would have a gold tooth also . each had one put on the side in front,My dad would smile real big with that gold tooth he was a nice looking man he was really proud of his teeth and gold tooth, all his life he would never have false teeth.My mom also was very talented nd nice looking she had blond hair,My brother Taylor had blond wavy hair the kids would kid him and say it looked like a wave on a slop bucket and Buddy hated his wavy hair.
Mom was a seamstress and could do embroidery>Once she made Merline Black a real pretty little outfit.
The music of the day we loved was Hank Willams songs,Eddy Arnold,Mac wiseman .Love letter in the sand also Roy Acuff,One song I liked of Hank Williams was Never again will I knock on your door .well there were alot more I liked .We use to set up Saurday nights and listen to the Grand ole Opry.
I wrote my first song when I was 14 and still have that song.I have a letter I wrote to my aunt Mary at Barwick.,Ky in 48 with Kenvir ,Ky Stamp on it she was my mom's sister I use to stay with her,I had collected some baby clothes a woman gave me and I told her I wanted to send them to my Aunt Mary .I did send them to her even though she wasn't gonna have a baby,she had alot of kids and had one often.I wrote to her and told her since she always had a lots of babies I was sending the clothes .she really did laugh over that and kept that letter,Her daughter Lillie Susan same to Kenvir once and stayed a few days with us.My moms Brother Chead Neace would also come and stay awhile.Gene Hall said he remembers him they would pal around together.Gene Hall and his sister his brothers and parents lived over on the hill above the road they later moved to #1 camp below us ,they all would come to our house alot we would all get our guitars going and sing,Gene would go with dad to services sometimes,He could sing like Eddy Arnold.He use to sing on the grand old opry with another guy.more later,Gertie E.Eachus,Dayton,Ohio




Part4Gertie Ellen Stidham Eachus
Posted by Gert on 10/4/2003 22:53:29





Precious Memories part IV -Doug Howard
Posted by Doug Howard on 10/5/2003 01:48:19

I was thinking about Another most precious Memory is when I first laid eyes on Bonnie,My heart went in my throat,I thought she is too pretty to want me,so about a year later I went with my best friend Larry Lockhart to meet his new girlfriend that he was walking home from Evarts Baptist church,well I almost fell over when I saw it was Bonnie the girl I saw at her uncle Baker's a year before,I had to say Don't I know you and told her that it was me at Baker's and she said yes I remember you,Well I kept my distance and even dated a friend or two of Bonnie's because Larry was my best friend but after 6 months they broke up and I didn't waste any time letting her cry on my shoulder,and that ended my friendship with Larry because he wanted her back,and I wasn't going to let it happen,I knew she was the one for me,I had never been out of Harlan county until I met her but her Dad and Mom took us on short trips,to their relatives,We went to visit her Aunt Kate in Herman Tennessee,and she had all kinds of good food cooked up,I never saw so much food,and her Aunt Kate looked just like Bonnie does today,The Irish in them is amazing,and Aunt Kate spoke with a broken Irish accent,I loved her,Oh not all was smooth sailing we would get in fights and break up alot,Bonnie had a fierce temper when she was mad but was so sweet when she wasn't,and I was high tempered too,But we went every where together,I couldn't skate but loved to watch Bonnie,we went to the movies alot and one of our teachers spied on us and told Bonnie's Dad that we never watched the show but just set kissing all the time,So after that we kind of cooled it on the shows,We was married just a few months before I went into the Army,Viet Nam came along,and I was sent to Alaska,Bonnie has been the best wife a man could ask for,and was a good mother to our 2 children,we found the Lord in 1972,she went first and I followed,and have never regretted it or Marrying her,we have had some good and bad times together but we are soul mates for life,since today his Bonnie's Birthday,I wanted to pay tribute to her,Happy Birthday Honey,I love you.



Dianes earliest memories oh lord here i go
Posted by Diane on 10/5/2003 00:52:42
i remember a lot of bits and pieces of life in blackmountain we lived in the house by the church in #1 that was the house i was born in i heard it later burned down. i remember my dad coming home from the mines i used to jump up and down waiting to see what he left me to eat in his lunch bucket. and he always left me a few crumbs of something. dad was always dirty coming home i remember mom used to dress me up in a frilly little dress and told me not to get dirty and i was a good girl and always tried to stay clean until daddy would pick me up then i would giggle as i knew mom would start screaming cause i would be filthy when he got done hugging me up. peanut(leona) and ruby and kenneth used to come over as they just lived down the alley from us and peanut used to tie a bug on a string for me and we would spin them around and they would make a noise a zzzz sound. one day when i was on the porch i got scared cause my mom ran out of the house screaming i looked over to where she was running and my brother jimmy had a buddy of his head on the tree stump (where dad used to cut chickens heads of) and jim had the axe raised like he was going to cut a chickens head off he was ready to chop when mom started to scream luckly mom looked out the door to see if i was still on the porch cause jim would have chopped that kids head off for sure. my mamaw was a big bosum woman and when she hugged you lord you new you had been hugged her name mrytle fredrick she had a lot of love for all us kids we sure new we were loved she knew the bible to and she always read bible verses to us kids, she sure could cook she made the best chicken and dumplings and fried green tomatoes. her buscuits were bigger than a plate. ill never forget the look on her face when we moved from black mountain she cried so hard. peanut said she cried for days she missed us all so much. mom said it took a peice of her heart away. i didnt want to go cause every one was crying so much i thought it was going to be a bad thing. more later


Lee(Cotton)Helton
Posted by: brenda Bailey Davis - 10/2/2003 (23:40) - 64.12.96.43

It was a cold winters day in Kenvir and all the young people had gathered at Laurie's to hang around and get warm . A few had nickles and would play the pin ball machine but more were around the machine that did not have money to play than ones that did. It was so exciting because the Monhollen twins had became masters at it and would win extra games and let the ones who did not have the nickle play. At the counter on the left that nearly stretched the whole length of the restaurant as you entered sat Lee Helton, biting his nails and watching. He always bit them to the quick. After a few hours the money and the luck on the pin ball machine would run out,we would all have to leave. Lee said to me me "I have to get out of this place and find a better life". He left some time after that to find work in a different state.One fall evening I had a quarter and went to Laurie's for a pop and to play the jukebox.Lee was in the restaurant sitting a little father down the counter drinking a coke. I said,"Hello Lee" and he said "Hello Brenda Bailey".Most called me by both names back then.He had on a clean white shirt and new jeans.I stood and talked to him for a few minutes and noticed his manacured looking hands with nice white nails.He said he was home visiting his Mom and Dad and would be leaving again in a few days. Lee was a good young man to the local girls and a protector if he thought someone was bothering us.He had the most fabulous blond hair, nearly white, when he was growing up. Get well Lee, I would like to see you in person one more time. Brenda



Kenvir's first junk yard
Posted by Ken on 10/3/2003 20:25:34
  When I was approaching driving age I would sit in this old Ford we had that sit in front of the house, I think it was a 53 or 54, I can't quite remember who's it was or how we wound up with it but it was a standard shift. I would sit in that car and practice shifting the gears and using the clutch. My brother Peanut in his senior year bought or traded (at one time he had a 59 plymouth that he bought while he was working in Illinois during the summer) for a 56 chevy that he got from Massingals. When I turned 16 my mother and stepdad bought me this 57 ford that I seen parked on a side street in Evarts one day for 150 dollars. I fell in love with it, it had dual exhausts, shift on the floor and a 312 engine with a four barrel. The top was a pretty gold metallic, the hood and trunk was white and the bottom was the original color, sorta like a pink with some gray primer thrown in with it. ( I later put a black racing stripe on it.) The man I bought it from said his son had intentions on painting and fixing it up but he was away and wanted to get rid of it. It became my favorite car and still is to this day. Anyway, Peanut went into the Air Force after graduation and told me I could have his 56 chevy too. I could probably use Peanut to help me out with this story to keep me straight in the right order of events but I'll do my best. My Papaw Lockhart and me overhauled the chevy but seemed like I always had trouble with it. I traded it for a 48 ford. It would burn the tires till I found out later I busted the camshaft hot rodding it. I traded it for a 51 and a 54 chevy. The 51 ran but the 54 didn't. The 54 was a beautiful car but needed an engine. I got a 283 to put in it but I had to have engine mounts welded on the frame for it which never happened. I let Tim Fagan and Randy Smith take the 51 up pounding mill to play around with. They came back with it and Tim said they rolled it over but it didn't look bad and was still driveable. I never had any intentions of taging the 51 anyway so I didn't care. Somehow, I can't remember now, but I got a 58 ford fairlane, 2 door hardtop and another 57 ford but this one was a convertible. I thought if nothing else I can use the fords I just got to keep my favorite running. my grandfather gave me a 56 oldsmobile earlier and I think I made a trade somehow for the 2 fords. I was staying home at the time with my mother which we lived below the restaurant. I had the 2 chevys and the 2 fords parked on Laura's property, I was pushing my luck with her. None of them ran and one day she said, "your cars have to go, it's looking like a junkyard down there". I hated to get rid of them but had no choice. I made a deal with the local bootlegger, he would take all of them off my hands for 2 cases of beer. Sounded like a deal to me because I didn't have the money to fix them. So I got rid of the cars and me and a couple buddys got drunk. About the same time I blew the engine in my favorite 57. I needed an engine so I got an engine from the same man (won't mention any names) and I think maybe the engine might have been included in the same trade, it's been so long now I can't remember for sure, anyway the engine came out of a 63 Mercury. It was a 430 cubic inch. I thought if I get that thing in my 57 I'll really have a hot rod. Well, I got it in after beating a corner of the firewall back with a hammer. I got it together, except for the exhaust pipes and Tim was helping me at the time. I started it up without the exhaust, shut it down and told Tim I have to get it on the road and see what it will do. I pulled it out of the alley and onto the road and felt like I was in a dragster on a drag strip. (rumble, rumble) I revved the engine and popped the cluth (remember no pipes) it burned the tires past the restaurant, the movie theatre, as far as I could go till I let off the gas, I was grinning from ear to ear. I put the pipes on it and drove it during the summer of 69. I was taking my date home one day and a car pulled out in front of me at Kildav and I hit him broadside, I knocked him over the hill then I went over the hill and hit him again after he landed in some tree's. My girlfriend was laying under the dash and said her back hurt her real bad. The ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital and after a couple hours waiting on her she walked out and was alright, just a little bruised. The 68 olds I hit was totaled, nobody in it was seriusly hurt, just cuts and bruises. mine could have been fixed but I didn't have the money. I started dating another not too long after that and with no car, and no job I joined the Army in August 69. I like to think back on that ime in my life, I had more cars at one time than I ever had in my life and to think if somehow I could have kept all of them how valuable they would be. I can't blame Laura for making me get rid of the junkyard she was looking at. So I lay claim to the first junkyard.
Ken



Part III,Story Kenvir.  Gertie E,Stidham Eachus
Posted by Gert on 10/2/2003 20:33:14

My Memories part IV
Posted by Bonnie H on 10/3/2003 23:41:48
Back in Evarts and living close to my Aunt and Uncle Vina Cloud Hamby and Floyd[Bud] Hamby,and My Grandmother,Gertie Eads Hamby,I lived a good life knowing they were there for me,and their two children,Lydia and Johnny Hamby,my two first cousins,and me and my brother Gary was together all the time,with me being the oldest,I had to fight and protect them,I was little mother to them,We would play with our second cousins that lived just up the road from us,The Bailey Boys,I remember that I had a Bird in a cage and hung it on the front porch in the summer time,and one of them let it out and we never found it,We had a trial by jury and Butch was the bad one which wasn't unusual,LOL,because he was really mean,His name suited him,back then no one had grass in the yard because I guess we wore it off playing but you swept your yard with a broom,just like your house,Well Butch was picking on my brother,and I said you know I am fed up with you picking on Gary,he said Yea,what you going to do about it,well I slugged him a good one,but he was stronger and getting the best of me so I just got that sandy dirt and threw it in his eyes,He almost went blind from it,Mom spanked me and him,yes back then the adults spanked you no matter whose kid you were,LOL,or at least thats the way my family was,But we was best friends right after that and especially when Butch got a broken down old pony name Jocka,He was ready for the Glu factory but we sure loved getting on him until my Aunt Lou made us feel guilty for riding the poor old thing,But we thought for sure we were Roy Rogers and Dale Evans,and all of our western hero's,I remember that Butch was trying to put a Rusty Gade on us,That's one time Mom pulled his pants down and blistered his behind, One time he was frying Frog legs and told us they were chicken legs,well I said they are awful small to be chicken legs,he said they were Bannie's,so I took a bite and he started laughing and told me they were Frog legs,I just about beat him to death that time,LOL,But let anyone outside of our family jump on one of us,we stood together,Lord Our poor Grandma Gertie sure had a hard time with us when the adults went to Harlan and left her in charge,We got our way with her because we knew she couldn't catch us,Me and Lydia loved going to Sunday School and Vacation Bible school at Evarts Baptist church,we never missed a meeting,I remember my Grandmother saying,looks like that church would learn them girls something besides them been so mean,LOL,When Lydia's brother Johnny got a little bigger,he wanted to go with us,so me being little mother,I said sure honey I will take you,but Johnny had a bad mouth,and went to saying dirty words while we was setting there,I told him he wasn't allowed to talk like that in church,well Lydia had to start her giggles over it so that really made him think it was okay for him to say those words,So he even got louder,I put my hand over his mouth and this older lady says you shouldn't do that you might smother him,I said I don't care if I do,So I got him out of there,and can't remember ever taking him back again,It seemed we owned the earth back then,Summer's and Winter's was Fun times,In the Winter we would go to the top of Evarts Hill and slide down on an old wooden sled,they would have a big Bon Fire burning to keep warm,There was a big Oak right in the middle of the Hill and if we had hit that tree I wouldn't be here today,Oh to be young and carefree again.



My Memories Part III

Posted by: Bonnie H - 10/2/2003 (12:00) - 216.117.50.252
After we left Harlan county there was a few times we would go back to Evarts,Mom still had our Home there and left it with everything still in it,so we could go and stay a week or two sometimes,then she rented it out a few times and then finally sold it after they got settled more here in Ohio,I got to go back and walk around in the yard last summer for the first time in 30 odd years,I missed the Cherry tree that was long gone,I looked for my little Dog Rusty's Grave but it had been washed away years ago I suppose,and as I turned to leave, it seemed as I could hear my Daddy saying ,Oh its so good to be back home again,I started crying so hard that its all I could do was to thank the lady of the house for showing it to me,and I thought as I was leaving Oh my God this is so final,I can never go home again,the way it was back then,But as I looked around almost everything looked the same,Ivan Lewis' nice Brick home across the road still looked the same,The River,The Mountains,How I wish that we could have been in as good a shape after 30 odd years,Here I was old with Crippling Arthritis and I could see the young girl that I once was playing with my Dog and just running and riding my bike,I remember my first pair of skates was an old pair that Paul Trosper gave to Daddy for us kids,They were in poor shape and we tied shoe strings around them to hold them on,and I learned to ride a Bike on a bike that didn't have any tires,Daddy finally got me and my brother a new one,I remember Me and a boy by the name of Jimmy Banks going to the very top of Evarts Hill and racing down the hill to see who was the fastest and no way was I going to let him win,But as I was away ahead of him,I looked back as we was almost to the bottom and ran right into Faye Turners Picket fence,I took about half of it out,But I was more concerned that he might say he won than I was my pain,but he was so nice to me and picked me up and Faye came out and went to get Mom,Mom was scared to death that I had broke my bones and Daddy told Faye he would fix her fence back,she said No don't you worry about it,it was rotted anyway,I was sure bruised and banged up but was okay,I had to promise never do that again,But through my years Jimmy Banks always was there,seemed every where we moved they moved close by,There for awhile Jimmy gave me a hard time over Doug,We all had Art class together and he was so jealous of Doug,He called Doug a Preying Mantis,LOL,that made Doug so mad,He tried to fight Jimmy but I told him not to do it,That Jimmy was my friend all of my life and was only a friend,Me and Jimmy would go to the show house together before I ever met Doug,but we never did nothing but 1 little bitty kiss,and we both thought it was yucky,LOL,Jimmy had a brother named David and him and my brother Gary was good friends,Their Mom was a Nurse for Doc Stepchuck,and when we had pains she would try and help us,I often wondered what became of them,Sometimes I wish I could go back in time for just one day,but I can never go back to that time again.




My Memories part  II

Posted by: Bonnie H - 10/1/2003 (12:09) - 216.117.50.13
My memories part II
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When I was growing up in Harlan county,times was really hard,I remember when the mines went out and mom crying because she was so worried about bills but my Daddy was a worker and a go getter,He would go off to the cities and work and sometimes we would go back with him for awhile but to the day my Daddy died he always talked about going back home,his heart was always there in the mountains,He hated the North,but had to make the best of it,We moved to Gary Indiana once and I went to school there for 6 months and I hated it,and Detroit city I can't remember all the times we went there and we hated it,That song had just came out"I wanna Go Home"about a family moving to Detroit and they was homesick,I went to crying so hard as we listened to it,and Daddy said get your things together we are going home,and we did,He wall papered,painted,worked on cars,everything he could do to make a dime so we could stay home,My Daddy was a family man,he loved his family,and mom was very thrifty,everyone wondered how she could have so much on such little pay of Dads but she was a good manager,and took care of everything real good,They finally could afford to buy a nice house when Daddy got a good job working at Paul Trosper's service station,Daddy loved Paul,and my uncle Floyd Hamby worked with him,Thats when I started loving skating because Paul owned the skating rink and would let us skate,Then Daddy worked for Charlie Mc Clamery Service station,So we did real good,The first time I laid eyes on my husband was at my uncle Baker Burns in Kenvir,He was showing a gun to Baker,But it was a year later before we met again and started dating,I was 15 years old then,Daddy got another job at the Coca Cola Factory at Baxter,by that time Gary my brother had married Marilyn and Me and Doug was married but Doug was in the Army,I lived at the Army bases awhile until Doug got sent to Alaska and no way was I going to Alaska or ride a plane,besides I was homesick and wanted my Mom and Dad,There wasn't any jobs that Gary could get there in Harlan county,he was real young,so Marilyn's dad Raymond Longmire was living here in Sidney,so Gary and Marilyn came and loved it so Gary Told Daddy that it was plenty jobs here so here we are,about 40 years later,Where did the time go,Now I am stuck like my Daddy,I can never go home again because my home is here with my little family,My Dad is buried here and so is Doug's Granny Gilbert.But sometimes late at night I can see my Mom and Dad,young and happy in their home in Evarts,Ky.
 Bonnie Howard



Precious Memories part 111

Posted by: Doug Howard - 10/1/2003 (12:07) - 216.117.50.13
Precious Memories part  III
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I am going to talk some today on the police station at Kenvir,I remember Jack Mc Peet and Cester Bowling been the peace makers,and long before them was Jim MC Daniels,I believe he was killed in the Dispute with the Union,at Evarts,I know every year at Christmas,there would be a great Big Christmas Tree put up next to the Police Station,and Chester Smith that owned the Sky Line Drive Inn at Verda , played Santa Claus,I remember running after his truck for the free candy he threw out to the children,and then Treats was given out,I remember Here Comes Santa Claus been played so loud and it made a young boy like me think I was at the North Pole,I kept looking for the reindeers,there would be a great big crowd gathered,when the mines went out,everything stopped,even the police station was shut down,and how I did miss all of the Excitement after that,everyone after that seemed so sad and dejected,and people started leaving in droves going to the cities to find work,I stayed at my Granny's because she always made a way for us,I have went to the big Rock a many of time with my granddad Poppy and watch the gambling,I watched my Grand dad put two poles up to hold that Rock so it didn't slide off the mountain and kill somebody,There was a Moonshine Still back there,I went a many time and bought Moonshine for Ike Ford,Jess Farley sold it and everybody would go to Jess to buy it,My Poppy is buried about 50 yards from that Rock,you can go past Fuson's old home place and its up past their house,He picked that spot out years before,Peabody owned that land,My Uncle Harold is buried over on the other side of the hill from poppy, my uncle Harold was Poppy and Granny's only son,and he was killed in a hunting accident on that mountain,when he was 16,They never fully recovered from his Death,they cried for him until they died,When I was born,they took me as Harold,and would get confused at times and call me Harold,I was taught to hunt just like Harold and loved it,My granny would hunt like a man,my long line was hunters and its in my blood,that is my Sport,I still thougly enjoy it ,One day I look forward to been with them again,they were Parents to me,the best a young boy could ever have.



School memories part III

Posted by: Chris - 10/1/2003 (9:06) - 65.207.126.148
By the time I had started school,they had paved the road to the school from number 2 camp.In the winter months though ,when it would come a skim of snow it would always lay on that hill,so they would unload the busses at the bottom and we would walk up. The school was heated by steam,and you could see that black coal smoke pouring out of the chimney before you ever got to the school house. I can remember in first grade we took a sandstone from off the hill somewhere and painted iy yellow,and painted Plymouth rock on it,we were studying the pilgrims. In third grade Mrs. Powell was afine Christian lady(And still is)and she would read us a Bible story out of the children Bible after lunch. Oh! I thank God I attended school before it was such a crime to even mention God,How I wish we could go back to the old way,lets keeep praying. By the time I had entered fourth grade,we would have to run some paper work or some businesss to the office,which was downstairs. We would fly down those stairs and the rail had two stiles misssing at the bottom,it was a metal rail and thge steps were concrete,paintesd grey,anyway as we neared the bottom we never took the last three steps,but shot under that rail where those stiles were missing,and you made a sharp turn toward the front doors and the office. Mrs. Childs,a Black lady was my fourth grade teacher,and I loved her and still do to this day. Our class in the fourth grade faced toward the front of the school,above where the furnace room was at,and during the year the school board would send a truck up there with two of the county workers who would shovel the coal into the furnace room. Those radiators would be so stuffy, even in cold weather we would crack one of the windows for some air,and you could hear them shoveling coal, there would be two of them and the sound was kind of singing, like sheeeeesh sheeeesh sheeeeeesh, the coal coming ofthose shovels, I can hear it so clear. The sound would kind of lull you to sleep,but Mrs. Childs would get your attention, she would rap her paddle on that desk,and you was awake then....to be continued



memories #2 Gertie Stidham Eachus.#1camp

Posted by: Gert - 10/1/2003 (10:55) - 152.163.252.69
It was really an exciting time for me and my family getting a house in #1 camp Mom began to fix up the house .It had a nice breakfast set .It was tin and red and white with four chairs real easy to Clean,my job was keeping the kitchen clean,My mom would call me smart.There were pretty spoolie full size beds,and a couch .I believe the stove was a coal stove .we had an ice Box with a round object on top my mom would buy chuncks of ice once a week from the ice man for fifty cents it would keep things pretty cold.Our heat was a fire place in the front room.The house had four rooms .Front porch and back Porch. We had to bathe in the Galvanized wash tub . Dad come home covered with black dust ready for his bath,He always liked to dress up on the week ends and go to church,
Our Neighbors were Robert and Blanche Black who lived on One side and a few Houses up our friend Nettie Dixon who would sometimes go to Church with us,I always remember how clean she was in her house,
My mom was very friendly with every one she knew in the camp,she always had a joke to tell to get people laughing .There was one woman over on one corner Mom would talk to her alot and she would like to drink Beer and lots of times would be sorta drunk.Mom would tell her she ought to try to quit that drinking.
The Blacks had four children.Freda Black.Peggy Black ,Robert Black Jr,and Merline Black,she was born while we lived there,Blanch Black had sort a cripple foot she was a real sweet person My mom went over to help when she had Merline they loved my Mom.
I never forgot the Store on wheels which would come to the camp ever few days .It was a huge brown bus and had St johns transportation on it.It was driven by Gene Hatmaker.He always had lots of good cold cuts like the best of balogny I ever tasted ,sliced ham and cheese.and candy icecream in little cups with little flat wooden spoons and cold drinks.she could get fifty cents of balogny and some cheese it would be alot .
Freda Black was my best friend.We would in the evenings ride our Bikes. we would ride from one end to the other by the dump, and sometimes race there wasn'tvery much traffic on the road,my dad bought an old Ford .We would also roller skate on the road .My skates were the kind you had to use a Key to wind we would go upon the hill where there was a store and then skate back off the Hill,I remember one woman who had a set of twins and she died in child birth her name was Massingill that always stood out in my mind through life my dad and mom took me to see her and her babies were in the casket with her.
WE would have to walk to Black Mountain school. I never wore slacks and my legs would get so cold when it snowed.We would also come home for dinner and then back.I never hardly missed classes.
Once my dad helped to save the life of Robert Blacks daughter Peggy who was 8 years old.Hewas setting on the front porch.Peggy was playing on the outside of the fench ,a ditch ran up the hill by all the houses.A man came selling water mellons in a huge truck it had a wobbly bed on it he went up the road by the houses up to the end and then startd backing out when he got down by our house the truck backed into the fence where Peggy was playing,the water mellons began to roll out and there was a guy in the back of the truck he jumped off and my dad saw it happen he jumped over the fence hollering for help and started trying to push that truck back,Mr Black came out of the house and realized his daughter was under the truck and went after the driver ready to pull him from the truck and give him a taste of his fists,he was really angry,others came to help Push when they got it back in the road there laid Peggy by a huge fence post that had fallen and protected her from getting smashed,she just got right up ,everyone called it a miracle. Freda Black told me not long ago ,she married the guy who was in the back of the truck when the accident happened She had five childen by him ,he later died,she moved to Florida and is now married again.
My dad became a preacher and lit out to help get everyone saved he could ,he would have revivals .He got a radio program over WHLN Harlan and I would go and play guitar and sing with him ,he would get alot of mail ,A man would come to the station and pay the bill each Sun, more later Gertie Eachus.Dayton Ohio





School memories Continued. Part 2

Posted by: Chris Jones - 9/30/2003 (18:13) - 65.207.126.148
In this second part of my memories of old Black Mountain school, I would like to start by saying how I remember how quite it was up there,during class you could come over from the lunchroom,and hear a pin drop. I remember after I went to Evarts high school,the first thing I noticed was how loud the traffic and noise was there,not so up on that hill at Kenvir. Our school desk in the first grade, were metal frame with a wood top, and seat. At the begining of the year,we got our desk, and it would be dirty from coal dust, and wrote on, so we would bring a piece of sandpaper,and sand it white and clean,the finish had wore off anyway. I remeber the last warm days of fall,after school started, the sun would shine in the windows in the evening before the bell rang to dismiss us, I would get so sleepy waiting on the bell. The Week before Thansgiving the lunchroonm would fix turkey and dressing, with green beans and cranberry sauce,and delicious rolls. Some of the parents would come and eat on that day. I had good teachers, I would say some of the best at this time. My first grade teacher was Mrs. Gail Ledford,I first fell in love with reading in her class, we had two reading groups,the redbirds and bluebirds,and I can remeber learning the sounds of the vowels and such. My third grade teacher was Mrs. Earldine Powell,and she played the piano. We had an old Piano in our third grade class room, and she would play songs. At Christmas all the smaller grades 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and 4th would gather together and Mrs. Powell would play, and they had little Christmas carol songbooks, they would hand out, and we would sing. I loved that. Of course about every month a singing missionary by the name of Mr. Rowland Pinkey would come around and play the organ and we would sing, and later in the older grades he would havea bible story. I remember his Bible was taped together,and then he had a new one, and I asked him where his old one was at, and he said he left it on top of the car, and accidently drove off and forgot it, and some friends bought him the new one. We didn,t have a lot of playground equipment, but we played plenty. The old green school building had been made into the lunchroom, and we played under there, it had boards placed against post, to serve as braces, and we would climb up onto them sit with our feet against the post, and to us this was our firetruck, or more often our fighter plane,there were two rocks down at the corner before you went under the lunchroom, and these were our horses or camels,I looked at these wood braces many years later, and couldnt belive I fit in those spaces. Of course we also stayed down the hillside in the creek. About everybody who went to school there remebers the bear cave,where the water falls were. We also caught crawdads out of that creek. A boy up there in school, never threw a milk carton away, an empty milk carton was a absolute necessity. With an empty carton we could daily until cold winter days catch grasshoppers,and there were plenty, and still are up there,or rustygades or crawdads or whatever. We also loved to pick up buckeyes,and they were a lot of buckeyes on that school house hill, as well as beech nuts. We would take buckeyes and drive a nail through them to make a hole and then make a buckeye necklace. We would pick rabbit tobacco ,and give that a chew for a while. The last and nearly only paddleing I got in school was in fourth grade for being off the playground,which was just rock and dirt then,and over the hill. Actually I wasn't over the hill, but I had fell in the mud and had my pants dirty, so I got it anyway....To be continued



boys will be boys

Posted by: Ken - 9/30/2003 (16:40) - 152.163.201.77
after talking to Doug about his cousin Danny I was sitting on the swing thinking about some of the things we did so thought I'd write about them. Danny lived in the first row of houses next to the road in Drs office camp, I lived next to the creek in the same row. We went to the school from first to 3rd grade together at Black Mtn before they left, after his 3rd grade year. You could look at us two together and see trouble. We liked to play in the creek and on the railroad tracks. One day we were playing on the railroad tracks, throwing rocks at each other ;-) not trying to hit each other, just to see how close we could get. I seen one coming I couldn't avoid so I RAN! It got me right in the back of the head.
I seen blood and went home and mom cleaned it up and put a band aid on it after cutting some hair, so here I am running around with a band aid and a bald spot on top my head. Another day we were playing barber beside his house, we decided to cut each others hair. I don't remember who cut whos first but we both looked at each other and Burst out laughing. His mother didn't hink it was funny. Danny got wore out and sent to the barber, needless to say he was bald the next day. My mother got a good laugh out of it and sent me to the barber the next day. When we played on the railroad tracks we would set these big gravels on the track just to see if we could wreck the train when it came by. We put up a pile on the track one day and listened for the train to come. We'd put our ears on the track and listen. I'm sure all you guys did this. We would hear it and hide in a ditch, it would come by and never wreck. We never could understand this. We would spend hours in the creek in the summertime, looking for anything that was alive, snakes, crawdads, you name it. We both had BB guns, one day we decided to go hunting across the creek. It was a nice area, trees, at one time a cornfield, and at one time a saloon. Here we are sneaking in the woods like Rambo with our BB guns, we see a couple targets (birds) but we miss. I get lucky and hit one so we both run over to pick it up. It's dead, I'm the guilty one and boy did I feel guilty. We both felt bad and decided to have a funeral. We dug a nice hole, Bird size, Sparrow, covered it up and said a lttle prayer. We made a nice little cross for it too, to put at the head of the grave. That kind of broke me from hunting for awhile. Last but not least probably the worst we ever did, one day we were standing on the porch at the restaurant and look what pulls up, the RC truck! In those days the sides were open. The truck driver says Hi and goes inside. We look at each other and decide to go for it! He grabs a bottle and I grab a bottle and we run like all get out! We ran the wrong way, we ran beside the restaurant where all Laura had to do was look out the window and see us. She seen us as we were running down the alley toward the creek. Wellll, we got caught. Danny got his butt wore out again and I think Mom gave me 6 cents and told me to go pay for it. I love my Mom!! I feel the age from 5 to ten are the best years of your life and this was some of mine. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed reflecting back on it.
Ken




                        My Memories Of Kenvir part I- By Bonnie Howard
Posted by: Bonnie H - 9/30/2003 (2:58) - 216.117.50.179
I was born on the very top of the Mountain called Evarts Hill, we did move to Kenvir twice when I was very small,once to new camp and once to #1 Camp,but finally settled in Evarts for 20 years,most all of my Daddy's folks lived in Kenvir,in #1 Camp,We always called it Black Mountain,We visited my grandmother Mary Burns and Dennis[Shorty Burns]just about everyday,Dad's 2 sisters lived right next to my Grandparents and they had loads of children,There was Bobbie Jean Napier and Oma Lee Shelton,,and down the road lived my Aunt Trula Widner,and her children,and then my aunt Wilma Luttrell always lived at Pounding Mill,and Gene and Baker Burns and their children,always lived close to my Grandparents,and My Grandmother's Sister Ellie Hatfield and her children lived a couple rolls over from my grand parents,Lord I had so many cousins,I loved playing with them,Some I was real close too,My dad most always worked in the mines at #30 and #31,and after he would get home from work and take a bath and eat supper we would go visit all of them,they would gather at my grandmother's because they knew we was coming,I really loved my Aunts and Uncles,I just loved sitting in my grand parents house after dark in front of the fire place,I think they called the fire place a Grate,They would tell us Ghost stories and about all of our dead Relatives,and how things was in the good old days,I think my Grand Dad Dennis was one of the first to get a Television,I know we didn't have one and he loved to show it off to us and show us all of the shows that came on,I was totally fasinated with The Variety shows,My Grand mother Mary would say Why Bonnie you could be on that show because you are so beautiful,She was a Black foot Indian,and Granddad was full Irish,They were not a huggy,lovey couple but could say things to make me feel so good about myself,I never was real close to them,but still felt Love and respect for them,They was a fasinating couple,They all the time did funny things like raising a pig on a bottle with that old powder milk they gave out to poor people,My grand daddy would say that he knew that milk was fattening to just look how his Pig was growing,and how that pig would follow you like a dog,and go inside the house,they ran it out but had a hard time keeping it out,Those were the days.

 

My Memories Of Stidham family In Kenvir. #1

Posted by: Gert - 9/30/2003 (8:22) - 152.163.252.69
I will start my memories of Kenvir in how I hapened to get there, Often wondered how My father Palmer Stidham found his way to kenvir to get a job in the Coal mines when we lived in Dayton,Ohio at the time. It was in 1946,my mother and Father hardly ever got along.They were always clashing.Dad took myself and My brother Taylor ,caught a Greyhound bus for Harlan,Ky.leaving my mother behind,and I dont know how she lived in finances, but i believe she left Dayton and went back to Barwick ,Ky Breathitt County to live with her sister.I can remember coming across the mountain before getting to Harlan,My brother and me were happy to get to go somewhere else. I was 12 years old.my brother was 13 months younger then me.Someone had told my dad they were hireing in the coal mines in Blackmountain.I beleive he had Kinfolks in the Dizney area,and had been in the areas in earlier years.WE had lived at Bonny Blue Virginia also when Iwas 4 years old and that was over the mountain from Dizney,Seems my dad would bring us over that mountain walking and go to a church there.,I remember walking this little path and he would fuss at me for stomping my toes and skinning my white shoes,any wasy we got to Harlan and caught a smaller bus to Kenvir.My dad talked to some people in Kenvir about a place to stay,They directed him to the boarding across across the bridge in #2 Camp I didnt know the name of it then.He took us over and talked with the lady there,They were real nice people and rented my dad a room upstairs and he got a job at the Black mountain coal mines,.At the boarding house they always cooked very good food for all their boarders,for breakfast they would fry bacon and Eggs ,have gravy and biscuits and allowed me to have coffee I loved coffee. dad enrolled My brother and me iN Blackmountain school,I always called my brother Buddy and he called me Bam,he never would call me by my name,The man who was to be my teacher was also living at the boarding House,He found out i could sing and play guitar.We called him Mr Bill mellon But his name was JohnWilliam mellon or Melton he walked with a Limp and used a cane.I was in his 5th grade class the first day there he made me get up in front and sing for the class.he said Gertie can sing and shes gonna sing for you,I was really embarrassed standing before the Class and told to sing and I always used my guitar when I sang.But I finally did sing.a song about a little child abused by his dad,"please daddy dont whip little Benny",A song rcordped by country singer,Mac Wiseman at the time,he whipped little Benny so much he died,Mr mellon had a huge picture Of a ship called the Titanic.first time I ever seen a picture ofa ship.He would tell about it.he said as a young man 19 years od he was on that ship before it went dwon in the Atlantic in 1912,He had gotten off the ship and put in a small boat and wa sable to survive nd went on to New York he wa from England,,In the meantime My dad had sent after my mother and she came to Kenvir.Dad had to find another place,He went to Evarts and found rooms in a rooming house,round the corner from the business district,he enrolled my brother and me in Evarts grade school.We really didnt stay there but only about 3 months.my dad went back and forth to the Mines to work I believe he found a friend to ride with.He had met another man from #1 camp and became friends with him,He and his wife envited us to come stay with them a few weeks til we got a house in # 1 camp their name was Evans they lived at the last row in the Camp.Dad re -inrolled my brother and me at Black Mountain school,his friend had a son who was moving out of the house and it was furnished with furniture and the son could'nt pay for it,His friend helped my dad get the 4 room house about middle ways in the camp and helped dad to take over payments for the furniture,it had some nice furniture in It,we moved in.next #2 life in the camp.Gert

 

Posted by: Ken - 9/29/2003 (20:06) - 68.55.195.126 Before the days of ATV's when we were kids we hiked the mountains with backpacks to wherever we were camping or take water and a lunch if it were just a day hike. Sometimes we would go by Fusons place and follow the trail up to poker knob. We would always stop at the big rock where they played poker just for a short break. I would like to visit that rock again. The ridge on poker knob was pretty. It had tall grass and big tress that we played in. We'd continue up the ridge and we would come upon steamboat rock, a big rock that was actually a cliff. My ole buddy Don Bailey would tell me the names of these rocks, how they got their names I don't know. Farther up the ridge was ship rock, it was actually shaped liked the bow of a ship, you walked by the side of it and a little farther up the ridge you could walk on top of it. Another nice drop that you could get killed on. Farther up the ridge was Buzzards cliff. Here you're not far from the top of the mountain. We camped there a couple times, I remember it as a high cliff that we camped beside. If you walked around to the right of the cliffs you came upon the Auger road. The road had all these holes about 2 feet round i guess into the side of the mountain drilling for coal. Sometime we'd venture to the other mountain with the CC road. We'd hike up the ridge of the old 30 mine. On that ridge was Hatman's rock, It was kinda shaped like a mushroom but a big mushroom. Father up that ridge was a nice gap that you have to jump, its only about 16 inch's but don't miss! Its a good 70 or 80 foot drop straight down. Farther up the ridge we ran into these possum grape vines, we stopped here for a nice break. Possum grapes are little but delicious. We'd hike to the tower sometime, about halfway to the tower is halfway rock, it's halfway to the tower. Farther up CC road about a mile or so farther you can look toward virginia and there is a big rock on the ridge in the distance with a big hole in the center of it, this of course is window rock. We'd finally get to the tower where in those days they had a forest ranger. He had a small trailor he lived in and he was always glad to get the company. He had a nice bed but we slept on the floor but didn't mind. The next day he would take us up in the tower with him AND I LOVED IT! It's 90 feet tall and it'll sway a little with a good breeze. The sun coming through made it nice and warm in there. He had this nice terrain map in the center on a table so when you spotted the fire you could pinpoint it on the map and call it in. We would hear where all the action was, where the fires were. Then I decided I wanted to be a forest ranger. Guess what, never made it. I loved hiking the mountains when I was kid, now I'm older and with the invention of the ATV I ride now. Not often but every chance I get. Hope you all enjoyed my little story.
Ken

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Ken Lockhart Kenvir Memories
« Thread started on: Sep 28th, 2003, 10:07pm »
mowing lawns, picking poke salad
 
Posted by: Ken - 9/28/2003 (21:52) - 152.163.252.69
I'm flashing back tonight I guess so thought I would throw another one at you. I guess this would pertain to most the boys. remember how we used to make money in Kenvir? of course there were no real jobs but in the summer time if you were fortunate enough to have a lawn mower you could do pretty good mowing lawns. The average size lawn was a dollar, I think Laura's was two but we would usually spend it at her place anyway. She would buy back pop bottles too. 2 cents for yours and one for hers. she determined that by the bottles you picked up around her restaurant. anything away from her restaurant was 2 cents. Believe me she knew the difference ;-) In the Spring we picked Poke and sold it, I think for 35 or 50 cents for a nice bag. We also picked blackberries, I never picked enough to sell because I ate more than I put in the pail, We'd also chopped kindling and sell it for 20 cents a bushel if it was your wood and 10 cents a bushel for their wood. In the winter time times were tight, if you were lucky you knew someone that would pay you to bring their coal in, no central heat in those days, just a warming morning stove in the corner. Kindling was year round though, so you try to keep good customers. We also had paper routes but you also had to have a good bicycle. The Knoxville papers were big and you had to make several trips before you finished but the money wasn't bad. dependinding on the customers 6 or 8 bucks a week. You could buy a lot more with your money in those days too so if you could make a couple bucks here and there that was all you needed as a kid. If you were resourceful enough you could make a little money. When some of the boys got older they would go away to the cities and work for the summer, I got stuck mowing lawns and picking poke salad but I wouldn't change it for the world.
Ken

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more Ken Lockhart old Memories
« Thread started on: Sep 28th, 2003, 10:10pm »
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Posted by: Ken - 9/28/2003 (21:00) - 152.163.252.69
I remember all that very well Doug, and couldn't have told it better good memory and thanks. Those church services like that would scare me and I would have to leave, I started going to the Methodist church because they were totally different. Usually a nice quiet serice. I was also fascinated by the church with its high barreled ceilings and those beautiful stained windows. The woodwork is beautiful plus it has the baptismal pool in the back that I was baptized in. We had boy scouts in the basement of that church and had a lot of good times with them. I have the Explorer flag that we had but would love to have the one that is the scout flag that says troop 9. I remember one time when Mitch Marlowe was scout master he had us dig a small ditch all along the side of the road that went up to the methodist church, I think we were all day doing this too. It looked good though and we were all proud of her work. this is just one small memory of many. another one, this one about me and danny howard. We would take these big gravels that lay in between the crossties on the railroad tracks and stack them on the rail thinking we were going to wreck this train ;-) then we would put our ear to the rail and listen for the train, after all we seen this on gene autry. When the train came we would run and hide in a ditch and watch, of course we never did wreck that train ;-). One time me and danny were at Laura's and the RC truck came and parled in front of the restaurant porch. Being the two little mischevious boys we were we decided to grab a bottle and RUN! well needless to say we got caught, he got his rear end wore out ;-) somehow I escaped a beating, can't remember how but I did.
So if you ever do hear of him, let me know. hope you enjoyed my little stories of us.
Ken


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Posted by: Doug Howard - 9/27/2003 (12:00) - 216.117.50.223
   My Granddad,"Poppy" Mox Gilbert,worked at the Sand House and on the tipple at #30 He burned Sand to dry so to put under the wheels of the Motor cars,to keep them from slipping,He also plowed with an old mule for people,Joe Asbury worked at the tipple at the same time,I remember Lon from colored camp drove a delivery truck for the Commisary,and a man named Ralph.Fischu was the Butcher,[Not sure about the spelling of the butcher]The Post office was in the Commisary,I remember wooden walls but not sure about that,They sold Dry Goods,Guns,and Groceries,The VTC Lines stopped at the Commisary to take people to Evarts,Punkin center,Disney,and Harlan and Clover Fork,and also had a Taxi service,I remember a new principal that took over for Mr.Cawood, he was from Virginia,He didn't want the kids to eat at the Red store but in the Lunch room,Shine Mulkey called him Applebutter,because he was from Virginia,I had a teacher by the name of Owen Turner and another by the name of Ray Thomas,Also Remember hearing about Perky Byrant's Brother Banny Byrant that to this day is still M.I.A.in the Korean Conflict,also had a close friend that was killed in Viet Nam,Franklin "Red" Eldridge that I went to School with at Black Mtn.,I have tried to find Red's name on the Viet Nam Memorial wall,but can't find it,Also had a good friend by the name of Carl Russell,who lives here in Sidney,I remember the old Saloon on the left hand side of the drug store,The Fishers owned it at one time,My first cousin Otis"Big Black Cat"racked the pool balls,He married Fisher's Daughter Barbara,I remember Otis or Jess Farley breaking John Blakely's Jaw,"A Barroom Brawl"LOL,They drank there even though it was a dry county,LOL, I remember Pete Pierce that ran the Drug Store,He was a nice man,He was Bald headed,What really fasinated me and I remember the most is the Rotating Ceiling fans and you never saw those anywhere else,He also had some old Ball and cap flintlock Rifels hanging on the walls,Most of all I remember going in there and getting Rootbeer in the paper Basket with the wire handle,and the old custards called Frosty Mall,and at Christmas time he would display Electric trains in the windows,cap guns,Dolls and Oh how I wanted one of those trains,later on I did get one,Tommorow I will talk about the Barber shop,Show House,and Restaurant,and the old L&N steam Engine,thanks for reading this,God Bless you all...Jimmy Doug Howard



Posted by: Margaret - 9/30/2003 (1:35) - 205.188.201.212 Hi Diane
Just saw that you ask how it looked in Elvies Place this is how it looked in the 60's .
__________________________________________________
"Elvies Place"

A meat freezer was by the windows on the left side of the store you could see the cold cuts , milk , eggs , and can biscuits , next was a low gate to go behind the counter ,the counter was not very long only about 6 stools was there and they had red tops and you could spin around on them ..
a high pop cooler was right next to the counter then a glass show case where Elvie had hair spray ,bobby pins , finger nail polish remover . and things like that for sale .. that show case touched the wall on the right side of the store and made it look as tho the counter was from one end of the building to the other ...
their was not much room behind the counter and she had a lot shelfs full of can food ...
Elvie lived in the back in one room and a bath room was between the kitchen Elvies bed room ...
She had a large picture window on the left with a booth in front of it and on up on the other side of the store in front of the show case was 2 more booths , and a jutBox that you could hear in side and out side was in front of a long high window ..
the floor was red and blue tile .. she kelp the place heated with a heat pump that was hanging up on the sealing and it was air condition in the summer ... her husbands name was Trap Thomas they had a house in New Camp where he stayed most of the time and Elvie lived in the store , Coal miners would come in there early in the mornings toget coffee and some would come back for lunch , I started working at lunch time alot of the Delivery men eat their luch at Elvies Place after all the people went back to work then I would start cleaning ... moping waxing the floor , cleaning all the windows ... one time I even painted her bed room for her .. I had fun working there Elvie was one of my best friends that I have never forgot .
Margaret


 My memories of Kenvir part 11
Posted by: Doug Howard - 9/28/2003 (12:03) - 216.117.50.94
I am going to give my memories of the Saloon in Kenvir,First of all even though Harlan county was a Dry county,The Police Officers wasn't enforcing the law very much because they were been paid off,to look the other way,Just like The American Legion,and Mag Bailey's,there was Stills and Alcohol anywhere you looked ,but back then,The Saloon and others paid the top officials to leave them alone and the police officers to look the other way,It seems Harlan county made their own laws back then,that is why they could have a saloon in a dry county,as far as I know and have always been told,but can't verify this,If I can recall right ,there was a Bar to the Right and pool tables centered to the left,as you came in the door,and had Gambling in there,If Barbara Fuson,Otis wife which was my first cousin would tell it,she knows more about the Saloon than anyone I suppose,her Dad runned it for awhile,Kids wasn't allowed in there but I did sneak in a few times,I was too young then to be a Patron,LOL,and I remember the L&N Steam Engine,It would bring empty Cars to #30 and #31,and put them on the side track,then pick up the loaded cars that had been put on another side line of track,then the Main Engine would hook on the full ones and pull them out,Mostly they did this early morning and late evening,I remember when the Oil Tanker and the Caboose got loose up in #31 and went all the way to Harlan before a man jumped on it and stopped it,Police was running all the way to Harlan to warn people not to get on the tracks,I remember at night you could see the fire coming out of the bottom of the Engine from the coal furnace,and how the black smoke would roar out of the Chimney of the Engine when the fire in the furnace was heavily loaded,I remember when Bill Genner was hit by the old steam Engine he was driving a Jeep delivering Milk,and the Train Rolled him for a long time before it could stop,he was killed,this happened at the American Legion Crossing,and now I will tell about the Barber shop,It was joined to the Restaurant,I used to go there and get the Buzz haircuts,called Burr's back then for 25 cents,There was always alot of old timers gathered there telling stories and swapping things,I think it had about 2 or 3 Barbers in it,and very nice inside,and had modern Barber chairs,those were simple times.I will tell more tomorrow on the Show House and the Restaurant,Thank you for Reading my story of Kenvir,Ky as I remember it....Doug Howard



Posted by: Margaret - 9/26/2003 (12:01) - 152.163.207.69
   Kenvir Kentucky #30 mine is where my Dad worked for many years he worked long hours in the coal mines to support my mother and us 9 childern I was baby # 9 the youngest child of Charlie & Maggie Nunley .
The first memories I have is laying on a couch in a camp house drinking orange juice from a baby bottle and wakeing up after a nap laying in the middle of a full size bed and hearing the train going by my house it was right beside the rail road tracks and would go by day and night ,
I lived in a 5 room Camp house in Dr's Office Camp untill I was 12 years old the house had 2 bed rooms we used what was supose to be a dinning room as a bed room so we had 3 bed rooms for 11 of us , before I was born my family had lived in Coal Bin Camp and #2Camp .
My memories are living in house 108 and our post Box was 108 ,
our kitchen window had a great view up as far as the #30 tipple and my sister was struck on some of the bus drivers and would look out the window everytime the bus would turn around over by the rail road tracks right in front of my house , the bus ran about every 30 minunts it would come down as far as my house then go on up to Dizney and then come back down by my house to pick up more people on their way to Evarts or Harlan ...
we had a bath room the hot water was heated up by a tank that was hooked on to our Warm Morning Cook stove so a fire had to be in it winter and summer to have hot water and to cook , the house had a boxed in Kitchen porch wide enough for a swing , their was a coal house and woodhouse to put the kinlen .
The Somers family lived right beside of us I could hear Mary Edna Somers playing her piano she played beautiful classical style ,I could hear her at my house and loved it , I would go out in the yard playing and listen to the music , Mrs Hughs across the ally from my house played the piano also her music was a different style I think she played out of the old Hym Book from the Cummunity Methodist Church in Kenvir , I liked her music I don't remember ever hearing her or Mary Edna sing , on up the ally a little girl I played with her Mother sang a long with her playing her husband played the pinao also real good but he didn't sing ... no wonder I have always been such a music lover I was surrounded by music the first 12 years of my life .

This is part {1,} in the life of Margaret Nunley Puente , Growing up in Kenvir, Kentucky Part {2,}
will be about the Company Store .
Posted by Margaret Nunley Puente .


Posted by: Chris Jones - 9/26/2003 (7:06) - 65.207.126.148
   I was born and raised in the Kenvir lower #31 camp. The coal company of course had ceased mining coal, but Peabody still had an office open at 30,but had sold all the houses. My dad and mother had married in the late summer of 1963, and moved in the house that Vardy McPeek had lived in at #31. There were two official houses there and the lower #31 boarding house. My great grandmother Lola Helton had help run this Boarding house in earlier years, when the mines were running. John Van Pelt the postmaster at Kenvir, before my dad,lived next to us a while,I can remember him and his wife. In this part of my early years, a lot of the Peabody buildings and stuff were still around but empty, and abandoned. Most of the houses though were full still yet, even though many people had left. Any way, I started school in the old rock Black Mnt. school house in the school year 1971-72. I remember mom taking me the first day, and I wasn't too scared, and after I saw the classroom, with all the cut outs, and playthings, and the other children, I made my self right at home. I think this made mom cry a little, because it was hard leaving me, and I didn't seem to miss her a bit. All the lower grades were upstairs on the top floor. We mostly in the early classes came in the set of steps that came up to the top floor,from the back. There were built with platforms and walls to kep you from falling off the top over the side,but I remeber the older boys then, and myself later jumpimg off these.(Boys!! ,its a wonder we didn,t break a leg)Of course if we got caught,uh-oh,but we was like crows,we always kept a lookout. I remember going in the top back door, single file row of children,the walls were painted two colors light grey over dark grey,if you went straight ahead,you come to the inside stairs leading to the lower floor, where the older kids were at. I remember thinking how old they looked, like high schoolers,of course they were only probably 7th graders,but to a little feller they were grown. If you turned right from these back doors,my first class was on the first right. This was kindergarten class. First grade was across the hall as you started toward the stairs. second grade was on the left as you came in the back top doors. They had made a library by the time I started school all the way down the hall to the right,the windows in the the library faced out to the front, taking in the view of the mountains. The little library seemed so big then, and it had nice new tables,and was the only room in school with florescent lighting. The rest of the rooms and hall ways had globe lights that hung on chains,and used a regular light bulb. Across the hall from the library was the girls bathroom,and the boys was all the way down to the end of hall on the other end. The third grade clas was down there,and fourth grade was back up near the stairs that went down to the lower level. You moved downstairs when you started 5th grade, boy you was big stufff then. I remember getting chocolate milk for a snack in kindergarten,and one of the cooks would bring it over from the lunch room, on a brown tray. The lunchroom was in the old green former school building. It stood high off the ground,and we were sure ghost lived under it. It was old even then, In the winter it was cold and drafty,and hot in summer,they had steam radiators run over from the rock school,but hey were always giving trouble. I remeber coming in for breakfast,and the smell was that of toast and butter,but anyway it would be cold, and we would eat standing with our tray next to the just warm radiators. We also had little bowls of corn flakes with toast, or oatmeal. Some of the best lunches I ever eat we had up at that old school,there were four cooks when I started school, Martha King,Laura King, Thelma Osborne, and ny great aunt Thelma Jones. I remember taking my tray over and putting it in the dishwater,Aunt Thelma, and Mrs Laura KIng were constantly washing dishes it seemed. I can close my eyes and seethese scenes so vivid, and still hear the sound of those trays banging the sides of the sink, as they washed. They made the best homemade vegtable soup and pimento cheese sandwiches,homemade from those big government blocks of cheese. And we would have fish and mashed potatoes on friday, with delicious corn bread. My tray then is like it is now, empty when I got done. My kindergaten teacher was Miss Helton,and we had about 20 in class. We would take a nap,during the day, and kindergarten left early,before the other kids got out, so our bus ran early. Mr. Sutton was my bus driver,he is dead now. I still to this day think about school when the leaves start falling, I remember getting off the school bus and the sky would be full of leaves,circleing around. I can recall the smell too.



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